JK 633 
1888 
Copy 1 



. ■ U]^ITED STATES 
» • 

CIVIL-SERVICE COMMISSION 



LAWS 



RULES AND REGULATIONS 



FOR IMPROVING THE 



EXECUTIVE . CIVIL-SERVICE 



OF THE 



UISriTED STATES 



SECOND EDITION 



WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

„ 1 S 8 8 



USriTED STATES 

CIVIL-SERVICE COMMISSION 



A,'.- LAWS 



RULES AND REGULATION'S 



FOR IMPKOVIXG THE 



EXECUTIVE CIVIL-SERVICE 



UNITED STATES 



SECOND EDITION 



WASHINGTON" 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

ISSS 



19402 c s 






UNITED STATES CIVIL-SERVIGE COMMISSION. 



COMMISSIONERS: 

ALFRED P. EDGERTON, ludiaua, president 
JOHN H. OBERLY, Illiuois. 
CHARLES LYMAN, Conuecticut. 



CHIEF EXAMINER: 
William H. Webster, Conuecticut. 

SECRETARY : 
John T. Doyle, Couuecticut. 

STENOGRAPHER 
William E. Morgan, Peuusylvauia. 



AUG 14 lyufc 
p. or 0. 



rlj 



CONTENTS. 



Civil-Service Act (approvedJanuary 16, 1883) .^ 9 

Sections op Revised Statutes axd of Statutes at Large 17 

EULES, approved February 2, 1888; in force Marcli 1, 1888 24 

GENERAL RULES. 

I.--OF THE USE OF OFFICIAL INFLUENCE 24 

II. — Of the Branches of the Classified Service 25 

III.— Of Examinations: 

1. Entrance to the classified service 25 

2. Non-competitive examinations 25 

3. Applications for examination 26 

4. Disqualifications for examination . 26 

5. Physically incapable applicants 26 

6. Examinations for promotion 26 

7. Political and religions opinions 27 

8. Statements by applicants 23 

9. Certificates of vouchers 28 

10. False statements 28 

11. Conduct of examinations 28 

12. Central hoard of examiners 29 

13. Selection of examiners 29 

14. Examiners' duties are official 29 

15. Commission and examiners 29 

16. Records by boards of examiners 29 

IV. — Op Certifying for Appointment : 

1. Registers of eligibles 29 

2. Disqualifications for certification 30 

3. Objections to selecting from certifications 30 

v.— Of Executive Officers and Examinations 30 

VI.— Of Dismissed Persons 30 



? "7 



:9i: 



4 CONTENTS. 

Page. 
VII.— Of Military and Naval Preference : 

1. Preference iu certifications 30 

2. Preference iu redaciions of force 31 

VIII.— Of' Prescribing Regulations 31 

DEPARTMENTAL RULES. 
I. — Of Definitions : 

1. Definition of "classified service" 31 

2. Definition of " department" 31 

II. — Of Examinations Required: 

1. Kinds of examinations 31 

2. Limitations to examinations 32 

3. Exceptions from exa-minations 33 

4. Transfers from excepted places 33 

III,— Of Times and Places of Examinations 33 

IV.— Of Applications : 

1. Qualifications of applicants 34 

2. Applications, liow addressed 34 

3. Receipt and approval of applications 34 

v.— Of Examiners : 

1. Marking examination papei'S 34 

2. Appointment of boards of examiners 34 

VI.— Of Marking and Grading and Entry on Registers: 

1. Grading of examination papers 35 

2. Standard of eligibility ." 35 

3. Entering upon registers 35 

4 and 5. Registers, bow kept 35,36 

6. Grade, bow expressed 30 

7. Notifying competitors of standing 36 

5 and 9. Re-examinations 36 

-0. Term of eligibility 36 

VII.— Of Certification and Appointment: 

1. Vacancies, bow filled 37 

2. Apportionment of appoiutments 37 

3. Seiectious from certifications 37 

4. Certifying from liigber register 38 

5. Probatioual and absolute appointment 38 

6. Assignment to duty 38 

VIII.— Of Transfers 38 



CONTElSTBo 5 

Page. 

IX. — Of Promotioxs , 39 

X. — Op Eeixstatemexts 40 

XI. — Of Eeports by Arpoixxixo Officers 40 

CUSTOMS KULES. 
I. — Of Classificatiox : 

1. Extent of the classified service 41 

2. MocTificatious of classification 41 

II. — Of Applicatiox axd Examixatiox : 

1. Examinations 41 

2. Age qualifications 43 

3. Eequests for application blanks 44 

4. Eeception and approval of applications 44 

5. Exceptions from examination 44 

6. Transfer from excepted places 44 

III. — Of Markixg axd Guadixg axd Exterixg upux Eegisters ; 

1. Grading of examination papers 44 

2. Of board of examiners 45 

3. Standard of eligibility 45 

4. Entering upon registers 45 

5. Grade, how expressed 45 

6. Notifying competitors of standing ,. 45 

7 and 8. Ee-examinatiou 46 

9. Term of eligibility 46 

IV. — OfCektificatiox axd Appoixtmext : 

1. Vacancies, how filled 46 

2. Selecting/iom certifications; probatioual and absolute appoint- 

ments "^7 

3. Eeports as to character and qualifications of probationers 47 

4. Other vacancies, how filled 47 

V. — Of Projiotioxs - 47 

Tl. — Of TraxsfePvS 48 

VII. — Of Ee-ixstatejiexts - - 48 

VIII. — Of Eeports by Nomixaiixg Officers 49 

POSTAL EULES. 
1.— Of Classificatiox : 

1. Extent of classified service = . 49 

2. Modifications of classifiication ., 49 



b CONTENTS. 

Page. 
II. — Of ArpLiCATiox and Examination: 

1. Examinations 50 

2. Age qualifications 51 

:l. Requests for application blanks 51 

4. Eeceipt and approval of applications 51 

5. Exceptiotis from examination 51 

6. Transfers from excepted places 51 

III.— Of Marking and Grading and Entering upon Registers: 

1. Grading of examination papers 52 

•2. Of boards of examiners 52 

3. Standard of eligibility 52 

4. Entering upon registers of eligibles 52 

5. Grade, how expressed 53 

f). Notifying competitors of standing 53 

7 and 8. Re-examiuatiou 53 

9. Term of eligibility 53 

IV. — Of Certification and Appointment: 

1. Vacancies, how filled 53 

2. Selecting from certifications; probational and absolute appoint- 

ments .- 54 

3. Reports as to character and qualifications of probationers.. 54 

V. — Promotions 55 

VI. — Of Transfers .^5 

VII. — Of Re-instate.aients 55 

VIII.— Of Reports by Postmasters .- 56 

GENERAL REGULATIONS. 

I. — Duties of secretary .57 

II.- Duties of chief examiner 58 

III. — Organization and duties of boards of examiners 58 

IV. — Application for examination G2 

V. — Examinations 07 

VI. — Marking exanuuation i)apers 72 

VII.— Certifications 78 

PROMOTION REGULATIONS. 

Depart.me.vtal Promotion Regulations: 

Sec. 1. Boards of promotion, how constituted 80 

Sec. 2. Duties of boards and of promoting officers 81 



CONTENTS. 7 

Page. 

Departmental Promotion Regulations— Continued. 

Sec. 3. Who shall compete 84 

Sec. 4. The Commission, and promotion examinations 85 

Sec. 5. Member of board who discloses, or employe who attempts to pro- 
cure, examination questions to be dismissed 85 

Sec. 6. How promoted persons shall be assigned to duty 85 

New York Customs Distpjct Promotion Regulations : 

Regulation 1. How examinations shall be ordered 85 

Regulation 2. Subjects of examination 86 

Regulation 3. Whole list to be certified 86 

Regulation 4. Transfers, how made 86 

Regulations. Amendments, how made 86 

Additional Regnlation 1. Day inspectors may be promoted to clerkships.. 87 
Additional Regulation 2. Opeuers-aud-packers and samplers may be pro- 
moted to clerkships 87 

'Additional Regulation 3. Howexamiuatiousfor promotion shall be ordered 87 

POSTAL REGULATIONS. 

Sec. 30. Post-office inspectors, how appointed 88 

Sec. 464. Clerks, etc., of post-offices, how appointed, duties, and salaries 89 

Sec. 4S0. Personal conduct of officials 89 

Sec, 505. Political assessments forbidden 91 

CLASSIFICATION. 
Classification : 

Of the Department of State 95 

Of the Department of War 93 

Of the Department of the Treasury 93 

Of the Department of Justice 95 

Of the Postoffice Departmeut 93 

Of the Dejiartmeut of the Navy 94 

Of the Department of the Interior 94 

'Of the Departmeut of Agriculture 95 

Of the Civil-Service Commission '. 95 

Of the Customs Service 96 

Of the Postal Service 97 



EXECUTIVE CIVIL-SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES. 



CIVIL-SERVICE ACT. 

[Chapter 27, Statutes at Large, vol. 22, p. 403.] 
AN ACT TO REGULATE AXD IMPROVE THE CIVIL-SERVICE OF THE UXITED STATES. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled^ That the President is authorized 
to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, three 
X)ersons, not more than two of whom shall be adiierents of the same 
party, as civil-service commissioners, and said three commissioners 
shall constitute the United States Civil-Service Commission. Said 
commissioners shall hold no other oi3icial place under the United 
States. 

The President may remove any commissioner; and any vacancy in 
the position of commissioner shall be so filled by the President, by and 
with the advice and consent of the Senate, as to conform to said condi- 
tions for the first selection of commissioners. 

The commissioners shall each receive a salary of three thousand five 
hundred dollars a year. And each of said commissioners shall be paid 
his necessary traveling expenses incurred in the discharge of his duty 
as a commissioner. 

Sec. 2. That it shall be the duty of said commissioners: 

PiRST. To aid the President, as he may request, in preparing suita- 
ble rules for carrying this act into effect, and when said rules shall have 
been i^romulgated it shall be the duty of all officers of the United States 
in the departments and officas to which any such rules may relate to aid, 
in all proper ways, in carrying said rules, and any modifications thereof, 
into effect. 



10 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

Second. And, among other things, said rules shall provide and de- 
clare, as nearly as the conditions of good administration will warrant, 
as follows : 

First^ for open, competitive examinations for testiug the fitness of 
applicants for the public service now classified or to be classified hereun- 
der. Snch examinations shall be practical in their character, and so far 
as may be shall relate to those matters which will fairly te^t the relative 
capacity and fitness of the jjersous examined to discharge the duties of 
the service into which they seek to be appointed. 

Second, that all the ofiices, places, and employments so arranged or to 
be arranged in classes shall be filled by selections according to grade 
from among those graded highest as the results of such competitive ex- 
aminations. 

Third, appointments to the public service aforesaid in the depart- 
ments at Washington shall be apportioned among the several states 
and territories and the District of Columbia upon the basis of popula- 
tion as ascertained at the last preceding census. Every application for 
an examination shall contain, among other things, a statement, under 
oath, setting forth his or her actual bona fide residence at the time of 
making the application, as well as how long he or she has been a resi- 
dent of such place. 

Fourth, that there shall be a period of probation before any absolute 
appointment or employment aforesaid. 

Fifth, that no person in the public service is for that reason under 
any obligations to contribute to any political fund, or to render any 
political service, and that he will not be removed or otherwise preju- 
diced for refusing to do so. 

Sixth, that no person in said service has any right to use his official 
authority or influence to coerce the political action of any person or 
body. 

Seventh, there shall be non-competitive examinations in all proper 
cases before the commission, when competent persons do not compete, 
after notice has been given of the existence of the vacancy, under such 
rules as may be prescribed by the commissioners as to the manner of 
giving notice. 



CIVIL-SERVICE ACT. 11 

Mghth, that notice shall be given in writing by the appointing power 
to said commission of the persons selected for appointment or employ- 
ment from among those who have been examined, of the place of resi- 
dence of such persons, of the rejection of any such x^ersons after proba- 
tion, of transfers, resignations, and removals, and of the date thereof, 
and a record of the same shall be kept by said commission. 

And any necessary exceptions from said eight fundamental provis- 
ions of the rules shall be set forth in connection with such rules, and 
the reasons therefor shall be stated in the annual reports of the com- 
mission. 

Third. Said commission shall, subject to the rules that may be made 
by the President, make regulations for, and have control of, such ex- 
aminations, and, through its members or the examiners, it shall super- 
vise and preserve the records of the same ; and said commission shall 
keep minutes of its own proceedings. 

Fourth. Said commission may make investigations concerning the 
facts, and may report upon all matters touching the enforcement and 
effects of said rules and regulations, and concerning the action of any 
examiner or board of examiners hereinafter provided for, and its own 
subordinates, and those in the public service, in respect to the execu- 
tion of this act. 

Fifth. Said commission shall make an annual report to the Presi- 
dent for transmission to Congress, showing its own action, the rules and 
regulations and the exceptions thereto in force, the practical effects 
thereof, and any suggestions it may approve for the more effectual 
accomplishment of the purposes of this act. 

Sec. 3. That said commission is authorized to employ a chief exam- 
iner, a part of whose duty it shall be, under its direction, to act with 
the examining boards, so far as practicable, Avhether at Washington or 
elsewhere, and to secure accuracy, uniformity, and justice in all their 
proceedings, which shall be at all times open to him. The chief exam- 
iner shall be entitled to receive a salary at the rate of three thousand 
dollars a year, and he shall be paid his necessary traveling expenses 
incurred in the discharge of his duty. The commission shall have a 
secretary, to be appointed by the President, who shall receive a salary 



12 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

of oue thousaucl six buudred dollars per annum. It may, when neces- 
sary, employ a stenographer, and a messenger, who shall be paid, when 
employed, the former at the rate of one thousand six hundred dollars 
a year, and the latter at the rate of six hundred dollars a year. The 
commission shall, at Washington, and in one or more places in each 
state and territory where examinations are to take place, designate 
and select a suitable number of persons, not less than three, in the 
official service of the United States, residing in said state or territory, 
after consulting the head of the department or office in which such 
persons serve, to be members of boards of examiners, and may at any 
time substitute any other person in said service living in such state or 
territory in the place of any one so selected. Such boards of exam- 
iners shall be so located as to make it reasonably convenient and 
inexpensive for applicants to attend before them ; and where there are 
persons to be examined in any state or territory-, examinations shall 
be held therein at least twice in each year. It shall be the duty of 
the collector, postmaster, and other officers of the United States, at 
any place outside of the District of Columbia where examinations are 
directed by the President or by said board to be held, to allow the 
reasonable use of the public buildings for holding such examinations, 
and in all proper ways to facilitate the same. 

Sec. 4. That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Interior to 
cause suitable and convenient rooms ami accommodations to be assigned 
or provided, and to be furnished, heated, and lighted, at the city of 
Washington, for carrying on the work of said commission and said ex. 
arainations, and to cause the necessary stationery and other articles to 
be supplied and the necessary printing to be done for said commission. 

Sec. 5. That any said commissioner, examiner, copyist, or messenger, 
or any person in the public service who shall willfully and corruptly, 
by himself or in cooperation with one or luoie other persons, defeat, 
deceive, or obstruct any person in respect of his of her right of exami- 
nation according to any such rules or regulations, or who shall willfully, 
corruT)tly, and falsely mark, grade, estimate, or report upon the exam- 
ination or i)roper standing of any person examined hereunder, or aid 
in so doing, or who shall willtuUy and corruptly make any false repre- 



CIVIL-SERVICE ACT. 13 

seutatioiis couceraing the same or coucerning the person examined, or 
who shall willfally and corruptly furnish to any jierson any special or 
secret information for the purpose of either improving or injuring the 
prospects or chances of any person so examined, or to be examined, 
beiug appointed, employed, or promoted, shall for each such offense 
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall 
be i)uuished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars, nor more 
than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not less than ten days, 
nor more than one year, or by both such flue and imprisonment. 

Sec. G. That within sixty days after the passage of this act it shall 
be the dutj^ of the Secretary of the Treasury, in as near conformity as 
may be to the classification of certain clerks now existing under the 
one hundred and sixty-third section of the Kevised Statutes, to arrange 
in classes the several clerks and persons employed by the collector, 
naval officer, surveyor, and appraisers, or either of them, or beiug in 
the public service, at their respective offices in each customs district 
where the whole number of said clerks and persons shall be all together 
as many as fifty. And thereafter, from time to time, on the direction of 
the President, said secretary shall make the like classification or ar- 
rangement of clerks and persons so employed, in connection with any 
said office or offices, in any other customs district. And, upon like 
request, and for the purposes of this act, said secretary shall arrange in 
one or more of said classes, or of existing classes, any other clerks, 
ag'^nts, or persons employed under his department in any said district 
not now classified; and every such arrangement and classification upon 
being made shall be reported to the President. 

Second. Within said sixty days it shall be the duty of the Postmaster- 
General, in general conformity to said one hundred and sixty-third sec- 
tion, to separately arrange in classes the several clerks and persons 
emploj-ed, or in the public service, at each postoffice, or under any 
postmaster of the United States, where the whole number of said clerks 
and persons shall together amount to as many as fifty. And thereafter, 
from time to time, on the direction of the President, it shall be the duty 
of the Postmaster-General to arrange in like classes the clerks and per- 
sons so employed in the postal service in connection with any other 



14 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

postoffice; and every such arrangement and classification upon being 
made shall be reported to the President. 

Third. That from time to time said secretary, the Postmaster-General, 
and each of the heads of departments mentioned in the one hundred 
and fifty-eighth section of the Revised Statutes, and each head of an 
ofiice shall, on the direction of the President, and for facilitating the 
execution of this act, respectively revise any then existing classification 
or arrangement of those in their respective departments and offices, and 
shall, for the purposes of the examination herein provided for, include 
in one or more of such classes, so far as practicable, subordinate places, 
clerks, and officers in the public service pertaining to their respective 
departments not before classified for examination. 

Sec. 7. That after the expiration of six months from the passage of 
this act no officer or clerk shall be appointed, and no person shall be 
employed to enter or be promoted in either of the said classes now ex- 
isting, or that may be arranged hereunder pursuant to said rules, until 
he has passed an examination, or is shown to be specially exempted 
from such examination in conformity herewith. But nothing herein con- 
tained shall be construed to take from those honorably discharged from 
the military or naval service any preference conferred by the seventeen 
hundred and fifty-fourth section of the Revised Statutes, nor to take 
from the President any authority not inconsistent with this act conferred 
by the seventeen hundred and fifty-third section of said statutes; nor 
shall any officer not iu the executive branch of the government, or any 
jiersou merely employed as a laborer or workman, be required to be 
classified hereunder; nor, unless by direction of the Senate, shall any 
person who has been nominated for confirmation by the Senate be 
required to be classified or to pass an examination. 

Sec. 8. That no person habitually using intoxicating beverages to 
excess shall be appointed to, or retained in, any office, appointment, or 
employment to which the provisions of this act are applicable. 

Sec. 9. That whenever there are already two or more members of a 
family iu the public service in the grades covered by this act, no other 
member of such family shall be eligible to appointment to any of said 
grades. 



CIVIL-SERVICE ACT. 15 

Sec. 10, That no recommend atiou of any person who shall apply for 
ofSoe or place under the provisions of this act which may be given by 
any senator or member of the House of Eepresentatives, except as to 
the character or residence of the applicant, shall be received or consid- 
ered by any person concerned in making any examination or appoint- 
ment under this act. 

Sec. 11. That no senator, or representative, or territorial delegate 
of the Congress, or senator, representative, or delegate elect, or any 
officer or employe of either of said houses, and no executive, judicial, 
military, or naval officer of the United States, and no clerk or employe 
of any department, branch, or bureau of the executive, judicial, or mili- 
tary or naval service of the United States, shall, directly or indirectly, 
solicit or receive, or be in any manner concerned in soliciting or receiv- 
ing, any assessment, subscription, or contribution for any political pur- 
pose whatever, from any officer, clerk, or employe of the United States, 
or any dei)artmeut, branch, or bureau thereof, or from any person 
receiving any salary or compensation from moneys derived from the 
treasury of the United States. 

Sec. 12. That no person shall, in any room or building occupied in 
the dischrtrge of official duties by any officer or employe of the United 
States mentioned in this act, or in any navy-yard, fort, or arsenal, solicit 
in any manner whatever, or receive any contribution of money or any 
other thing of value for any political i^urpose whatever. 

Sec. 13. Is'o officer or employe of the United States mentioned in this 
act shall discharge, or promote, or degrade, or in manner change the 
official rank or compensation of any other officer or employe, or i^romise 
or threaten so to do, for giving or withholding or neglecting to make any 
contribution of money or other valuable thing for any political purpose. 

Sec. 14. That no officer, clerk, or other person in the service of the 
United States shall, directly or indirectly, give or hand over to any 
other officer, clerk, or person in the service of the United States, or to 
any senator or member of the House of Kepresentatives, or territorial 
delegate, any monej^ or other valuable thing on account of or to be 
applied ro the promotion of any political object whatever. 



16 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

Sec. 15. That any person who shall be guilty of violating any pro- 
vision of the four foregoing sections shall be deemed guilty of a misde- 
meanor, and shall, on conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not ex- 
ceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment for a term not exceed- 
ing three years, or by such fine and imprisonment botb, in the discretion 
of tbe court. 

Approved, January 16, 1883. 



SECTIONS OF REVISED STATUTES, AND OF STATUTES 

AT LARGE. 



SEOTIO^^S OF EEVISED STATUTES. 

Sec. 163. The clerks in tlie departmeuts shall be arranged iu four 
classes, distinguished as the first, second, third, and fourth classes. 

Sec. 165. Women may, in the discretion of the head of any depart- 
ment, be api)ointed to any of the clerkships therein authorized by law, 
upon the same requisites and conditions, and with the same compensa- 
tions, as are prescribed for men. 

Sec. 167. The annual salaries of clerks and emj)loyes iu the depart- 
ments, whose compensation is not otherwise prescribed, shall be as 
follows : 

First. To clerks of the fourth class, eighteen hundred dollars. 

Second. To clerks of the third class, sixteen hundred dollars. 

Third. To clerks of the second class, fourteen hundred dolltirs. 

Fourth. To clerks of the first class, twelve hundred dollars. 

Fifth. To the women employed in duties of a clerical character, sub- 
ordinate to those assigned to clerks of the first class, including copyists 
and counters, or temporarily employed to perform the duties of a clerk, 
nine hundred dollars. 

Sixth. To messengers, eight hundred and forty dollars. 

Seventh. To assistant messengers, seven hundred and twenty dollars. 

Eighth. To laborers, seven hundred and twenty dollars. 

Ninth. To watchmen, seven hundred and twenty dollars. 

Sec. 108. Except when a different compensation is expressly pre- 
scribed by law, any clerk temporarily employed to perform the same 
or similar duties with those belonging to clerks of either class, is en- 
titled to the same salary as is allowed td clerks of that class. [Sec. 

242. No clerk temporarily employed in the Department of the Treasury 
19402 c s 2 , 17 



18 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

shall receive a greater compensation than at the rate of twelve hundred 
dollars a year for the time actually employed.] 

Sec. 170. Xo monej' shall be paid to any clerk employed in either 
department at an annual salary, as compensation for extra services, 
nnless expressly authorized by law. 

Sec. 1753. The President is authorized to prescribe such regula- 
tions for the admission of persons into the civil-service of the United 
States as may best promote the efficiency thereof, and ascertain the fit- 
ness of each candidate in respect to age, health, character, knowledge, 
and ability for the branch of service into which he seeks to enter; and 
for this purpose he may employ suitable persons to conduct such 
inquiries, and may prescribe theii' duties, and establish regulations 
for the conduct of persons who may receive appointments in the civil- 
service. 

Sec. 1754. Persons honorably discharged from the military or naval 
service by reason of disability resulting from wounds or sickness 
incurred in the line of duty, shall be preferred for appointments to civil 
offices, provided they are found to i)ossess the business capacity neces- 
sary for the proper discharge of the duties of such offices. 

Sec. 1757. Whenever any person who is not rendered ineligible to 
office by the provisions of the fourteenth amendment to the constitu- 
tion is elected or appointed to any office of honor or trust under the 
government of the United States, and is not able, on account of his 
participation in the late rebelliou, to take the oath prescribed in the 
preceding section [Sec. 175G, E, S., now repealed] he shall before enter- 
ing upon the duties of his office take and subscribe, in lieu of that 
oath, the following oath : " I, A. B., do solemnly swear [or affirm] that 
I will support and defend the constitution of the United States against 
all enemies, foreign and domestic; that 1 will bear true faith and alle- 
giance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any 
mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and 
faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to 
enter. So help me God." 

Note.— [Extract from opinion of Attoruey-Geueral of May 21, 1SS5.] " By llie act 
of May 13, 1884, cliap. 4(i, -To Stat., 'J-3. it is (Iccl.Tied that thereafter the oath to be 



SECTIONS OF EEVISED STATUTES. 19 

taken by auy person elected or appointed to any office of honor or profit either in the 
civil, military, or naval service, except the President of the United States, shall be 
as prescribed in section 1757, Revised Statutes; and it is further declared that this 
'shall not affect the oaths prescribed by existing statutes in relation to the perform- 
ance of duties in special or particular subordinate offices and employments.' Thus, 
while postmasters, in common with all other officers of the United States, except the 
President, are now I'equired to take the oath of office x>rescribed in section 1757, 
Revised Statutes, they are not exempted from taking the oath prescribed by the act 
of March 5, 1874, chap. 46, relative to the performance of duties in the postal service, 
but must take this also." 

Sec. 1738. The oath of office required by either of the two precediug- 
sections (1756 [repealed] and 1757, R.S.) may be taken before any officer 
who is authorized either by the laws of the United States, or by the 
local municipal law, to administer oaths in the state, territory, or dis- 
trict where such oath may be administered. (R. S,, § 1758.) 

Sec. 1778. In all cases in which, under the laws of the United States, 
oaths or acknowledgments may now be taken or made before any jus- 
tice of the peace of any state or territor}', or in the District of Colum- 
bia, they may hereafter be also taken or made by or before any notary 
public duly appointed in any state, district, or territory, or any of the 
commissioners of the circuit courts, and, when certified under the hand 
and official seal of such notary or commissioner, shall have the same 
force and effect as if taken or made by or before such justice of the 
peace. 

Sec. 1781. Every member of Congress or any officer or agent of the 
government who, directly or indirectly, takes, receives, or agrees to re- 
ceive, any money, property, or other valuable consideration whatever, 
from any person for procuring, or aiding to procure= any contract, office, 
or iDlace from the government or any department thereof, or from any 
officer of the United States, for any person whatever, or for giving any 
such contract, office, or place to any person whomsoever, and every per- 
son, who, directly or indirectly, offers or agrees to give, or gives, or be- 
stows any money, property, or other valuable consideration whatever, 
for the procuring or aiding to jirocure any such contract, office, or place, 
and every member of Congress who, directly or indirectly, takes, re- 
ceives, or agrees to receive auy money, property, or other valuable con- 
sideration whatever after his election as such member, for his attention. 



20 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

to, services, action, vote, or decisioa oq aiiy question, matter, cause, or 
proceeding which may then be pending, or may by law or under the 
constitution be brought before him in his official capacity, or in his 
I)lace as such member of Congress, shall be deemed guilty of a misde- 
meanor, and shall be imprisoned not more than two years and fined not 
more than ten thousand dollars. And any such contract or agree- 
ment may, at the option of the President, be declared absolutely null 
and void; and any member of Congress or officer convicted of a viola- 
tion of this section, shall, moreover, be disqualified from holding any 
office of honor, profit, or trust under the government of the United States. 



SECTIONS OF STATUTES AT LARGE. 

Sec. 3. That whenever, in the judgment of the head of any de- 
partment, the duties assigned to a clerk of one class can be as well 
performed by a clerk of a lower class or by a female clerk, it shall 
be lawful for him to diminish the number of clerks of the higher grade 
and increase the number of the clerks of the lower grade within the 
limit of the total appropriation for such clerical service [see Sec. 4, p. 
21] : Provided, That in making any reduction of force in any of the ex- 
ecutive departments, the head of such department shall retain those 
persons who may be equally qualified who have been honorably dis- 
charged from the military or naval service of the United States, and the 
widows and orphans of deceased soldiers and sailors. (19 Stats., 255.) 

Sec. G. That all executive officers or employes of the United States 
not appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of 
the Senate, are prohibited from requesting, giving to, or receiving 
from, any other officer or employe of the government, any money 
or jiroperty or other thing of value for political j^urposes; and any 
such officer or employe who shall otfend against the provisions of this 
section shall be at once discharged from the service of the United States; 
and he shall also be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on convic- 
tion thereof shall be fined in a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars. 
(19 Stats., 255.) 



SECTIONS OF STATUTES AT LARGE. 21 

Sec. 15. That before entering upon tbe duties, and. before tbey sball 
receive any salary, tbe Postmaster-General, and all persons employed 
in tbe postal service, sball respectively take and subscribe before some 
magistrate or otber competent officer authorized to administer oatbs by 
tbe laws of tbe United States, or of any state or territory, tbe follow- 
ing oatb or affirmation : " I, A. B., do solemnly swear [or affirm, as tbe 
case may be] tbat I will faithfully perform all the duties required of 
me and abstain from everything forbidden by tbe laws in relation to 
the establishment of i)ostoffices and post-roads within tbe United 
States; and that I will honestly and truly account for and pay over 
any money belonging to tbe said United States which may come into 
my possessiou or control; and I also further swear [or affirm] that I will 
support tbe Constitution of the United States. So help me God." (Act 
of June 8, 1872, as amended by act of March 5, 1874, 18 Stats., 19.) 

Sec. 2. That section seventeeu hundred and fifty-six of the Eevised 
Statutes be, and the same is hereby repealed ; and hereafter the oatb to 
be taken by any person elected or appointed to any office of honor or 
lirofit either in the civil, military, or naval service, except the President 
of the United States, shall be as prescribed in section seventeen hundred 
and fifty-seven of tbe Eevised Statutes. But this repeal shall not affect 
the oaths prescribed by existing statutes in relation to the performance 
of duties in special or particular subordinate offices and employments. 
(Act of March 13, 1884, 23 Stats., 22.) 

Sec. 4. Tbat no civil officer, clerk, draughtsman, copyist, messeu^-er, 
assistant messenger, mechanic, watchman, laborer, or other employe 
shall, after tbe first day of October next, be employed in an^- of tbe ex- 
ecutive departments, or subordinate bureaus or offices thereof at tlie seat 
of government, except only at such rates and in such numbers, res[)ect- 
ively, as may be specifically appropriated for by Congress for such cleri- 
cal and otber personal services for each fiscal year ; and no civil officer, 
clerk, draughtsman, copyist, messenger, assistant messenger, mechanic, 
watchman, laborer, or other employe sball hereafter be employed at the 
seatof government in any executive department or subordinate bureau or 
office thereof, or be paid from any appropriation made for contingent ex- 



22 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

penses, or for auy s})ecific or general purpose, unless such employment 
is autborized and payment therefor specifically provided iu Ibe law 
granting the appropriation, and then only for services actually rendered 
in connection with and for the purposes of the appropriation from which 
payment is made, and at the rate of comi^ensation usual and proper for 
such services, and after the first day of October next, section one 
hundred and seventy-two of the Eevised Statutes, and all other laws 
and parts of laws inconsistent with the i^rovisions of this act, and all 
laws and parts of laws authorizing the employment of officers, clerks, 
draughtsmen, copyists, messengers, assistant messengers, mechanics, 
watchmen, laborers, or other employes at a different rate of pay, or 
in excess of the numbers authorized by appropriations made by Con- 
gress be, and they arc hereby repealed; and thereafter all details of 
civil officers, clerks, or other subordinate employes from places out- 
side of the District of Columbia, for duty within the District of Colum- 
bia, except temporary details for duty connected with their respect- 
ive offices, be, and are hereby, prohibited ; and thereafter all moneys 
accruing from lapsed salaries, or from unused appropriations for salaries, 
shall be covered into the treasury: Provided, That the sums herein 
specifically appropriated for clerical or other force heretofore jiaid for 
out of general or specific appropriations, may be used by the several 
heads of departments to pay such force until the said several heads of 
departments shall have adjusted the said force in accordance with the 
provisions of this act; and such adjustment shall be effected before 
October 1, 18S2. And in making such adjustment the employes herein 
provided for shall, as far as may be consistent with the interests of the 
service, be apportioned among the several states and territories accord- 
ing to population: Provided further, That any person performing duty 
in any capacity as officer, clerk, or otherwise, in any department at 
the date of the passage of this act, who has heretofore been paid from 
any appropriation made for contingent expenses or for any contingent 
or general purpose, and whose office or place is specifically provided 
for herein, under the direction of the head of that department may be. 
continued in such office, clerkship, or employment without a new ap- 



SECTIONS OF STATUTES AT LARGE. 23 

pointment thereto, bat sball be cliarged to the quotas of the several 
states aud territories from which they are respectively appointed, and 
nothing herein shall be construed to repeal or modify section one hun- 
dred and sixty-six of the Eevised Statutes of the United States. (22 
Stats., 255.) 

Sec. 1. Hereafter no department or officer of the United States shall 
accept voluntary service for the government or employ personal serv- 
ice in excess of that authorized by law, except in cases of sudden 
emergency involving the loss of human life or the destruction of prop- 
erty. (Act of May 1, 1884, 22 Stats., 17.) 



CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 



Adopting and Peomulgating Order. 

In the exercise of power vested in him by the coDStitution, aucl of 
authority given to him by the seventeen hundred and fifty-third 
section of the Eevised Statutes, and by an act to regulate and 
improve the civil-service of the United States, approved January 
16, 1883, the President hereby makes and promulgates the follow- 
iDg rules, and revokes the rules known as "Amended Civil-Service 
Eules," and " Special Eule No. 1," heretofore promulgated nuder 
the power and authority referred to herein: Provided, That this re- 
vocation shall not be construed as an exclusion from the classified 
civil-service of any now classified customs district or classified 
postoflfice. 



GENEKAL RULES. 

General Rule I. 

Anj'- officer in the executive civil-service who shall use his official 
authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with an election or 
controlling the result thereof; or who shall dismiss, or cause to be 
dismissed, or use influence of auy kind to procure the dismissal of, any 
person from any place in the said service, because such person has 
refused to be coerced in his political action, or has refused to contrib- 
ute money for political purposes, or has refused to render political 
service; and any officer, clerk, or other employe in the executive civil- 
service, who shall Avillfully violate any of these rules, or any of the pro- 
visions of sections 11, 12, 13, and 14 of the act entitled "Ad act to 
regulate and improve the civil-service of the United States," approved 

January 10, 1883, shall be dismissed from office. 
24 



GENERAL RULES. 25 

General Eule II. 

There shall be three branches of the classified civil-service, as fol- 
lows : 

1. The classified departmental service. 

2. The classified customs service. 

3. The classified postal service. 

General Eule III. 

1. No person shall be appointed or employed to enter the civil- 
service, classified in accordance with section 163 of the Eevised 
Statutes, and under the act to regulate and improve the civil-service 
of the' United States, approved January 16, 1883, until he shall have 
passed an examination, or shall have been shown to be specially ex- 
empted therefrom by said act, or by an exception to this rule set forth 
in connection with the rules regulating admission to the branch of the 
service he seeks to enter. 

2. No non-competitive examination shall be held except under the 
followiug conditions: 

(a) The failure of competent i)ersons to be, after due notice, com- 
petitively examined, thus making it impracticable to supply to the 
appointing officer in due time the names of persons who have passed 
a competitive examination 

(b) That a person has been, during one year or longer, in a place 
excepted from examination, and the appointing or nominating officer 
desires the appointment of such person to a place not excepted. 

(c) That a person has served two years continuously since July 16, 
1883, in a place in the departmental service below, or outside, the 
classified service, and the appointing officer desires, with the ap- 
proval of the President, upon the recommendation of the commission, 
to promote such person into the classified service because of his faith- 
fulness and efficiency in the position occupied by him, and because of 
his qualifications for the place to which the appointing officer desires 
his promotion. 



26 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

{(1) That au appointing or uomiuating- officer desires the examination 
of a person to test bis fitness for a classified place which might be 
tilled under exceptions to examination declared in connection with the 
rules regulating admission to the classified service. 

{€) That the commission, with the approval of the President, has 
decided that such an examination should be held to test fitness for any 
particular place requiring technical, professional, or scientific knowl- 
edge, special skill, or peculiar ability, to test fitness for which place a 
competitive examination cannot, in the opinion of the commission, be 
properly provided. 

(/) That a person who has been appointed from the copyist register 
wishes to take the clerk examination for promotion to a place the sal- 
ary of which is not less than 81,000 per annum. 

{g) To test the fitness of a person for a place to which his transfer 
has been requested. 

{h) When the exigencies of the service require sucli examination for 
promotion as provided by clause G of this rule. 

3. All applications for examination mnst be made in form and man- 
ner prescribed by the commission. 

4. IN'o person serving in the army or navy shall be examined for 
admission to the classified service until the written consent of the 
head of the department under which he is enlisted shall have been 
communicated to the commission. 

No person who is an applicant for examination, or who is an eligible 
in one branch of the classified service, shall, at the same time, be an ap- 
plicant for examination in any other branch of said service. 

5. The commission may refuse to examine an applicant who would 
be physically unable to perform the duties of the place to which he 
desires appointment. The reason for any such action must be entered 
on the minutes of the commission. 

G. For the purpose of establishing in the classified civil-service the 
principle of compulsory competitive examination for promotion, there 
shall be, so far as practicable and useful, compulsory competitive exam- 
inations of a suitable character to test fitness for promotion ; but persons 
in the classified service who were honorably discharged from the mill- 



GENERAL RULES. 27 

tary or uaval service of the United States, and the widows and orphans 
of deceased soldiers and sailors, shall, be exempt from such exami- 
nations. 

The commission may make regulations, applying them to any part of 
the classitied service, under which regulations all examinations for pro- 
motion therein shall be conducted and all promotions be made ; but until 
regulations in accordance herewith have been applied to any part of the 
classified service, promotious therein shall be made in the manner pro- 
vided by the rules applicable thereto. And in any part of the classi- 
fied service in which promotions are made under examination as herein 
in'ovided, the commission may, in special cases, if the exigencies of 
the service require such action, provide non-competitive examinations 
for promotion . 

Persons who were in tlie classified civil-service on July IG, 18S3, and 
persons who have been, since that date, or may be hereafter put into 
that service by the iuclusiou of subordinate places, clerks, and officers, 
under the provisions of section of the act to regulate and improve 
the civil-service of the United States, approved January 16, 1883, shall 
be entitled to all rights of promotion possessed by persons of the same 
class or grade appointed after examination under the act referred to 
above. 

7. No question in any examination shall be so framed as to elicit 
information concerning the political or religious opinions or affiliations 
of competitors ; and no discrimination in examination, certification, or 
appointment shall be made by the commission, the examiners, or the 
appointing or nominating officer in favor of or against any applicant, 
competitor, or eligible because of his political or religious opinions or 
affiliations. The commission, the examiners, and the appointing or 
nominating officer shall discountenance all disclosures of such opinions 
or affiliations by or concerning any applicant, competitor, or eligible; 
and any appointing or nominating officer who shall make inquiries con- 
cerning, or in any other way attempt to ascertain, the political or relig- 
ious opinions or affiliations of any eligible, or who shall discriminate in 
favor of or against any eligible because of the eligible's political or 
religious opinions or affiliations, shall be dismissed from office. 



^ 



28 LAWS, KULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

S. Every applicant must state under oatb — 

{a) His full name. 

(/>) That lie is a citizen of the United States. 

(c) Year and place of bis birth. 

{(I) The state, territory, or district of which he is a bona fide resi- 
dent, and the length of time he has been a resident thereof. 

(c) His postofifice address. 

(/) His busine.^s or employment during the three years immediately- 
preceding the date of his application, and where he has resided each of 
those years. 

{g) Condition of his health, and his physical capacity" for the public 
service. 

(/i) His previous employment in the public service. 

{%) Any right of preference in civil appointments he may claim under 
section 1754 of the Eevised Statutes. 

(j) The kind of school in which he received his education. 

(k) That he does not habitually use intoxicating beverages to excess. 

(L) That he has nat, within the one year next preceding the date of 
his application, been dismiss-id from the public service for delinquency 
or misconduct. 

(w) Such other facts as the commission may require. 

9. Every applicant for examination for the classified departmental 
service must support the statements of his application paper by certifi- 
cates of persons acquainted with him, residents of the state, territory, 
or district in which he claims hona fide residence; and the commission 
shall x^rescribe the form and number of such certificates. 

10. A fiUse statement made by an applicant, or connivance by him 
with any person to make on his behalf a false statement in any certifi- 
cate required by the commission, and deception or fraud practiced by 
an applicant, or by any person on his behalf with his consent, to influ- 
ence an examination, shall be good cause for refusal to examine such 
applicant, or for refusing to mark his papers after examination. 

11. All examinations shall be prepared and conducted under the 
supervision of the commission; and examination papers shall be 
marked under rules made by the commission, which shnll take care 



GENERAL EULES. 29 

that the markiug-esaminers do not know the name of any competitor 
in an examination for admission whose papers are intrusted to them. 

12. For the purpose of marking examination papers, boards of exam- 
iners shall be appointed by the commission; one to be known as the 
central board, which shall be composed of persons in the classified 
service, who shall be detailed lor constant duty at the office of the 
commission. Under supervision of the commission, the central board 
shall mark the papers of the copyist aud of the clerk examinations^ 
and such of the papers of the supplementary, special, and promotion 
examinations for the departmental service, and of examinations for 
admission to, or promotion in, the other branches of the classified serv- 
ice, as shall be submitted to it by the commission. 

13. Xo person shall be appointed to membership on any board of ex- 
aminers until after the commission shall have consulted with the head 
of the department or of the office under whom such person is serving. 

14. An examiner shall be allowed time during office-hours to perform 
his duties as examiner, which duties shall be considered part of his 
official duties. 

15. The commission may change the membership of boards of ex- 
aminers and — 

(a) Prescribe the manner of orgaEizing such boards; 

{h) ]\[ore particularly define their powers ; 

(c) Specifically determine their duties, and the duties of the mem- 
bers thereof. 

IG. Each board shall keep such records, and make such reports, as 
the commission may require; and such records shall be open to the 
inspectiou of any member of the commission, or other person acting 
under authority of the commission, which may, for the purposes of in- 
vestigation, take possession of such records. 

General Eule IV. 

1. The names of all competitors who shall successfully pass an ex- 
amination shall be entered upon a register, and the competitors whose 
names have been thus registered shall be eligible to any office or place 
to test fitness for which the examination was held. 



so ' LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

2, The commission may refuse to certify — 

(a) Au eligible who is so defective iu sight, speech, or hearing, or 
who is otherwise so defective physically, as to be apparently unfit to 
perform the duties of the position to which he is seeking appointment. 

(b) Au eligible who has made a false statement in his application, 
or been guilty of fraud or deceit iu any matter connected with his appli- 
cation or examination, or who has been guilty of crime or of infamous 
or notoriously disgraceful conduct. 

3. If an appointiug or nomiuatiug offlcer to whom certification has 
been made shall object iu writing to any eligible named in the certifi- 
cate, stating that because of physical incapacity, or for other good 
cause particularly specified, such eligible is uot capable of properly 
performing the duties of the vacant place, the commission may, upon 
investigation and ascertainment of the fact tha,t the objection made is 
good and well founded, direct the certification of another eligible iu 
place of the one to whom objectiou has been made. 

General Eule V. 

Executive officers shall, in all proper ways, facilitate civil-service 
examinations ; and customs ofiflcers, postmasters, and custodians of 
public buildings, at places where such examinations are to be held, 
shall, for the purposes of such examinations, permit and arrange for 
the use of suitable rooms under their charge, and for heating, lighting, 
and furnishing the same. 

General Eule YI. 

No person dismissed for misconduct, and no probationer who has 
failed to receive absolute appointment or employment, shall be ad- 
mitted to any examination within one year after having been thus dis- 
charged from the service. 

General Eule TIL 

1. Persons who have a prima facie claim of jn-eference for a])- 
pointments to civil offices uuder section ITol, Eevised Stijtutes," 
shall be preferred in certifications made under the nutliority of the 
commission to any appointing or nominating officer. 



DEPARTMENTAL RULES. 31 

2. Ill making any reduction of force in any branch of the classified 
civil-service, those persons shall be retained who, being equally qnali- 
lied, have been honorably discharged from the militarj^ or naval serv- 
ice of the United States; and also the widows and orphans of deceased 
soldiers and sailors. 

General Rule YIII. 

The commission shall have authority to prescribe regulations under 
and in accordance with these general rules and the rules relating 
specially to each of the several branches of the classified service. 

DEPARTMENTAL RULES. 
Departmental Rule I. 

1. The classified departmental service shall include the several 
officers, clerks and other persons in any department, commission, or 
bureau at Washington classified under section 1G3 of the Revised 
Statutes or by direction of the President for the purposes of the ex- 
aminations prescribed by the civil-service act of 1883 or for facilitating 
tlie inquiries as to fitness of candidates for admission to the depart- 
mental service in respect to age, health, character, knowledge, and 
ability, as provided for in section 1753 of the Revised Statutes. 

2. The word " department," when used in the general or depart- 
mental rules, shall be construed to mean any such department, commis- 
sion, or bureau classified as above prescribed. 

Departmental Rule II. 

1. To test the fitness of applicants for admission to the classified 
departmental service there shall be examinations as follows : y/' 

Copyist examination. For places of $900 per annum, and under. 
This examination shall not include more than the following subjects : 

(a) Orthography. 

(b) Copying. 

(c) Penmanship. 



J 



32 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

(d) AiitUtnetic: fimdamental rales, fractions, aud percentage. 
Clerk cmmmation. For places of $1,000 per annum, and upward. 

This exaiuiuation shall not inchule more than the following subjects : 

(o) Orthography. 

{b) Copying. 

(c) Penmanship. 

{(l) Arithmetic: fundamental rules, fractious, percentage, interest, 
and discount. 

(e) Elements of book-keeping and of accounts. 
(/) Elements of the English language. 

(g) Letter- writing. 

{h) Elements of the geography, history, and government of the 
United States. 

Supplementary examinations. For places which, in the opinion of the 
commission, require, in addition to the knowledge required to pass the 
copyist or the clerk examination, certain technical, professional, or scien- 
tific knowledge, or knowledge of a language other than the English lan- 
guage, or peculiar or special skill. 

Special examinations. For places which, in the opinion of the com- 
mission, require certain technical, professional, or scientific knowledge 
or skill. Each special examination shall embrace, in addition to the 
special subject upon which the applicant is to be tested, as many of 
the subjects of the clerk examination as the commission may decide to 
be necessary to test fitness for the place to be tilled. 

Non-competitive examinations. For any place in the departmental 
service for which the commission may, from time to time (subject to 
the conditions prescribed by General Rule III, clause 2), determine 
that such examinations ought to be held. 

2. An applicant may take the copyist or the clerk examination, and 
any or all of the supplementary and special examinations provided for 
tbe departmental service, subject to such limitations as the commission 
may, by regulation, prescribe; but no person whose name is on a de- 
partmental register of eligibles shall, during the period of his eligibility, 
be allowed re-examination unless he shall satisfy the commission that, at 
the time of his examination, he was unable, because of illness or other 



DEPAKTMENTAL EULES. 33 

good cause, to do himself justice in said examination ; and the rating 
upon such re examination shall cancel and be a substitute for the rating 
of such person upon the previous examination. 

3. Exceptions from examination in the classified departmental 
service are hereby made as follows: 

(a) One private secretary, or one confidential clerk, of the head of 
each classified department and of each assistant secretary thereof; and 
also of each head of bureau appointed by the President by and with 
the advice and consent of the senate. 

(b) Direct custodians of money for whose fidelity another officer is 
under official bond ; but this exception shall not include any officer 
below the grade of assistant cashier or assistant teller. 

(c) Disbursing officers who give bonds. 

(d) Persons employed exclusively in the secret service of the gov- 
ernment. 

(e) Chief clerks. 

(/) Chiefs of divisions. 

4. No person appointed to a i^lace under the exceptions to examina- 
tion hereby made shall, within one year after appointment, be trans- 
ferred from such place to a place not also excepted from examination; 
but after service of not less than one year in an examination-excepted 
place he may be transferred in the bureau in which he is serving to a 
place not excepted from examination : Provided, That before any such 
transfer maybe made. the commission must certify that the person 
whom it is proposed to so transfer has passed an examination to test 
fitness for the place proposed to be filled by such transfer. 

Departmental Rule III. 

In compliance with the provisions of section 3 of the civil-service 
act, the commission shall provide examinations for the classified de- 
partmental service at least twice in each y^ar in every state or ter- 
ritory in which there is a sffiucient number of applicants for such 
examinations ; and the places and times of examinations shall, Avhen 
practicable, be so fixed that each applicant may know at the time of 
19402 s C 3 



34 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

makiug- liis application whon and where lie may be examined. But 
applicants may be uotiSed to appear at any place at which the com- 
mission may order an examination. 

Departmental Eule IV. 

1. Any person not under twenty years of age may make application 
for admission to the classified departmental service, blank forms for 
which purpose shall be furnished by the commission. 

2. Every application for admission to the classified departmental 
service should be addressed as follows : " United States Civil-Service 
Commission, Washington, D. C." 

3. The date of reception and also of approval by the commission of 
each application shall be noted on the application paper. 

Departmental Eule V. 

1. The papers of all examinations for admission to or i^romotion in 
the classified departmental service shall be marked as directed by the 
commission. 

2. The commission shall have authority to appoint the following- 
named boards of examiners, which Shall conduct examinations and 
mark examination papers as follows : 

Central hoard. As i^rovided for by General Eule III, clause 12. 

Special hoards. These boards shall mark such papers of special ex- 
aminations for the classified departmental service as the commission 
may direct, and shall be composed of iiersons in the public service. 

Supplementary hoards. These boards shall mark the papers of such 
supplementary examinations for the classified departmental service as 
the commission may direct, and shall be comi^osed of persons in the 
public service. 

Promotion hoards. One for each department, of three members, and 
one auxiliary member for each bureau of the department for which 
the board is to act. Unless the commission shall otherwise direct^ 
these boards shall mark the papers of promotion examinations. 

Local hoards. These boards shall be organized at one or more jdaces 
in each state and territory where examinations for the classified de- 



DKrARTMENTAL EULES. 35 

partmeutal service are to be bekl, and shall condact such examina- 
tions ; and each shall be composed of persons in the public service 
residing' in the state or. territory in which the board is to act. 

Customs and postal boards. These boards shall conduct such ex- 
aminations for the classified departmental service as the commission 
may direct. 

Departmental Eule VI. 

1. The papers of the copyist and of the clerk examinations shall be 
marked by the central board; the papers of special and supplement- 
ary examinations shall be marked as directed by the commission. 
Each competitor in any of the examinations mentioned or referred to 
above shall be graded on a scale of 100, according to the general aver- 
age determined by the marks made by the examiners on his papers. 

2. The papers of an examination having been marked, the commis- 
sion shall ascertain — 

(a) The name of every competitor who has, under section 1754 of the 
Revised Statutes, claim of preference in civil appointments, and who 
has attained a general average of not less than (j5 ])er centum; and all 
such competitors are hereby declared eligible to the class or place to 
test fitness for wliich the examination was held. 

{!)) The name of every other competitor who has attained a general 
average of not less than 70 per centum ; and all such competitors are 
hereby declared eligible to the class or place to test fitness for which 
the examination was held. 

3. The names of all preference-claiming competitors whose general 
average is not less than G5 per centum, together with the names of all 
other competitors whose general average is not less than 70 per 
centum, shall be entered upon the register of persons eligible to the 
class or place to test fitness for which the examination was held. 

4. To facilitate the maintenance of the apportionment of api)oint- 
ments among the several states and territories and the District of 
Columbia, required by section 2 of the act to regulate and improve the 
civil-service of the United States, approved January 16, 1883, there 
shall be lists of eligibles for each state and territory, and for the Dis- 



3b* J.AWS, KULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

trict of Columbia, upou which shall be entered the names of the com- 
petitors from that state or territory, or the District of Columbia, who 
have passed the copyist and the clerk examinations; the names of those 
who have passed the copyist examination and of those who have passed 
the clerk examination being listed separately; the names of male and 
of female eligibles in such examinations beiug also listed sej)arately.^ 

5. But the names of all comi^etitors who have passed a supple- 
mentary or a special examination shall be entered, without regard to 
state residence, upou the register of persons eligible to the class or 
place to test fitness for which supplementary or si)ecial examination 
was held. 

G. The grade of each competitor shall be expressed by the whole 
number nearest the general average attained by him, and the grade 
of each eligible shall be noted npon the register of eligibles in con- 
nection with his name. When two or more eligibles are of the same 
grade preference in certification shall be determined by the order 
in which their application papers were filed. 

7. Immediately after the general averages in an examination shall 
have been ascertained each competitor shall be notified that he has 
IJassed or has failed to pass. 

8. If a competitor fail to pass, he may, with the consent of the 
commission, be allowed re-exaraination at any time within six months 
from the date of failure without filing a new application. But a com- 
petitor failing to pass, desiring to take again the same examination, 
must, if not allowed re-examination within six months from th(j date 
of failure, make, in due form, a new application therefor. 

9. No person who has passed an examination shall, while eligible 
on the register supplied by such examination, be re-examined, unless 
he shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the commission that at 
the time of his examination he was, because of illness or other good 
cause, incapable of doing himself justice in said examination. 

10. The term of eligibility to appointment under the copyist and 
the clerk examinations shall be one year from the day on which 
the name of the eligible is entered on the register. The term of 



DEPARTMENTAL RULES, 37 

eligibility under a supplementary or a special examination shall bo 
determined by the commission, but shall not be less than one year. 

Departmental Eule VII. 

1. Vacancies in the classified departmental service, unless among the 
[)laces excepted from examination, if not filled by either promotion or 
transfer, shall be filled in the following manner : 

(a) The appointing officer shall, in form and manner to be prescribed 
by the commission, request the certification to him of the names of 
cither males or females eligible to a certain place then vacant. 

{b) If fitness for the place to be filled is tested by competitive ex- 
amiuation, the commission shall certify the names of three males or 
three females, these names to be those of the eligibles who, standing 
higher in grade than any other three eligibles of the same sex on the 
list of eligibles from which certification is to be made, have not been 
certified three times to the officer making the requisition: Provided, 
Tiiat if upon any register from which certification is to be made there 
are the names of eligibles who have, under section 1754 of the Revised 
Statutes, claim of preference in civil appointments, the names of such 
eligibles shall be certified before the names of other eligibles higher in 
grade. The couimission shall make regulations that will secure to 
each of such preference-claiming eligibles, in the order of his grade 
among other preference-claimants, an opportunity to have his claim of 
preference considered and determined by the appointing officer. 

2. Certifications hereunder shall be made in such manner as to main- 
tain, as nearly as possible, the apportionment of appointments among 
tbe several states and the territories and the District of Columbia, as 
required by law. 

3. If the three names certified are those of persons eligible on the 
copyist or the clerk register, the appointing officer shall select one, 
and one only, and shall notify the person whose name has been selected 
that he has been designated for appointment : Provided, That, for the 
purpose of maintaining the apportionment of appointments referred to 



38 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

in clause 2 of this rule, tlie commission may authorize the appointing 
officer to select more than one of the three names certified. 

When certification is made from a supplementary or a special regis- 
ter, and there are more vacancies than one to be filled, the appointing 
officer may select from the three names certified more than one. 

4. The commission may certify from the clerk register for appoint- 
ment to a place the salary of which is less than $1,000 per annum, any 
eligible on said register who has given written notice that he will ac- 
cept such a place. 

5. When a i)erson designated for appointment shall have reported in 
person to the appointing officer, he shall be appointed for a probational 
period of six months; at the end of which period, if his conduct and 
capacity be satisfactory to the appointing officer, lie shall receive ab- 
solute appointment; but if his conduct and capacity be not satisfactory' 
to said officer, he shall be notified that he will not receive absolute ap- 
pointment, and this notification shall discharge him from the service. 
The appointing officer shall require the heads of bureaus or divisions 
under whom probationers are serving to keep a record and to make re- 
port of the punctuality, industry, habits, ability, and aptitude of each 
probationer. 

C. All iiersons appointed to or promoted in the classified depart- 
mental service shall be assigned to the duties of the class or place to 
which they have been appointed or promoted, unless the interests of 
the service require their assignment to other duties ; and when such 
assignment is made the fact shall be reported to the head of the de- 
partment. 

Departmental Rule VIII. 

1. Transfers may be made as follows: 

(a) From one department to another, upon requisition by the head of 
the department to which the transfer is to be made. 

(/>) From a bureau of the Treasury Department in which business 
relating to the customs is transacted, to a classified customs district, 
and from such a district to such a bureau of the Treasury Department,' 
upon requisition by the Secretary of the Treasury. 



DEPARTMENTAL EULES. 39 

(c) From the Postoffice Department to a classified postoffice, and 
from such an office to the Postoffice Department, upon requisition by 
the Postmaster- General. 

2. No person may be transferred as herein authorized until the com- 
mission shall have certified to the officer making the transfer requisi- 
tion that the person whom it is proposed to transfer has passed an 
examination to test fitness for the place to which he is to be trans- 
ferred, and that such person has, during at least six months preced- 
ing the date of the certificate, been in the classified service of the 
department, customs district, or j)ostoffice from which the transfer is 
to be made : Provided, That no person who has been appointed from 
the copyist register shall be transferred to a place the salary of which is 
more than $900 per annum until one year afier appointment. 

Departmental Eule IX. 

1. A person appointed from the copyist register may, upon any test 
of fitness determined upon by the promoting officer, be promoted as 
follows : 

(a) At any time after probational api)ointment, to any place the sal- 
ary of which is not more than $900 per annum. 

(b) At any time after one year from the date of probational appoint- 
ment, upon certification by the commission that he has passed the 
clerk examination, or its equivalent, to any place the salary of which 
is $1,000 per annum, or more. 

(c) At any time after two years from the date of probational appoint- 
ment to any place the salary of which is $1,000 per annum, or more. 

2. A person appointed from the clerk register, or from any supple- 
mentary or special register, to a place the salary of which is $1,000 per 
annum, or more, may, upon any test of fitness determined upon by the 
promoting officer, be promoted at any time .after absolute appointment. 

3. A person appointed from the clerk register, or from any supple- 
mentary or special register, to a place the salary of which is $900, or 
less, may, upon any test of fitness determined upon by the promoting 
officer, be promoted, at any time after probational appointment, to any 
place the salary of which is $1,000 per annum. 



40 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

4. Other promotions may be made upon any tests of fitness deter- 
mined upon by the promoting officer. 

5. The provisions of clauses 1,2, 3, and 4 of this rule shall become 
null and void in any part of the classified departmental service as 
soon as promotion regulations shall have been applied thereto under 
General Rule III, clause G. 

Departmental Rule X. 

Upon requisition of the head of a department, the commission shall 
certify for reinstatement in said department, in a grade requiring no 
higher examination than the one in which he was formerly employed, 
any person who, within one year next preceding the date of the requisi- 
tion, has, through no delinquency or misconduct, been separated from 
the classified service of that department. 

Departmental Rule XI. 

Each appointing officer in the classified departmental service shall 
report to the commission : 

{a) Every probational and every absolute appointment made by 
him, and every appointment made by him under any exception to 
examination authorized by Departmental Rule II, clause 3. 

(6) Every refusal by him to make an absolute appointment, and 
every refusal or neglect to accept an appointment in the classified 
service under him. 

(c) Every transfer within and into the classified service under him. 

{(I) Every assignment of a person to the performance of the duties 
of a class or place to which such person was not appointed. 

(e) Every separation from the classified service under him, and 
whether the separation was caused by dismissal, resignation, or death. 
Places excepted from examination are within the classified service. 

(/) Every restoration to the classified service under him of any i)er- 
son who may have been separated therefrom by dismissal or resigna- 
tion. 



I 



CUSTOMS RULES. 41 

CUSTOMS RULES. 

CUSTOITS EULE 1. 

1. The classified cnstoins service shall include the officers, clerkS; 
and other persons in the several customs districts classified under the 
provisions of section G of the act to regulate and improve the civil- 
service of the United States, approved January 16, 1883. 

2. Whenever the officers, clerks, and other persons in any customs 
district number as- many as fifty, any existing classification of the 
customs service made by the Secretary of the Treasury under section 
G of the act of January 16, 1883, shall apply thereto; and thereafter 
the commission shall provide examinations to test the fitness of per- 
sons to fill vacancies in said customs district 5 and these rules shall be 
in force therein. Every revision of the classification of any customs 
office, under section 6 of the act above mentioned, and every inclusion 
within the classified customs service of a customs district, shall be 
reported to the President. 

Customs Eule II. 

1. To test fitness for admission to the classified customs service, 
examinations shall be provided as follows : 

Cleric examination* This examination shall not include more than 
the following subjects : 

(a) Orthography. 

(b) Copying. 

(c) Penmanship. 

{d) Arithmetic: fundamental rules, fractions, percentage, interest, 
and discount, 
(e) Elements of book-keepiug and of accounts. 
(/) Elements of the English language. 
{g) Letter-writing. 

* Storekeepers sliall be classed as clerks, and vacancies in that class sliall be filled 
by assignment. 



42 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

(h) Elements of the geography, history, and govern meut of the 
United States. 

Laic cleric examination. This examination shall not inclrde more 
than the following subjects : 

(a) Orthography. 

(6) Copying. 

(c) Penmanship. 

(d) Arithmetic: fundamental rules, fractions, percentage, interest, and 

discount. 

(e) Elements of the English language. 
(/) Letter-writing. 

(g) Law questions. 

Day inspector examination. This examination shall not include more 
than the following subjects : 
[a) Orthography. 
{!)) Copying. 

(c) Penmanship. 

{d) Arithmetic: fundamental rules, fractions, and percentage. 
(e) Elements of the English language. 
(/) Geography of America and Europe. 

Inspectress examination. This examination shall not include more 
than the following subjects : 
[a) Orthography. 
(/>) Copying, 
(o) Penmanship. 

(d) Arithmetic : fundamental rules. 

(e) Geography of America and Europe. 

Night inspector^ messenger, assistant iceighcr^ and opener- and-pacl:er 
examination. This examination shall not include more than the fol- 
lowing subjects : 

{a) Orthography. 

{b) Copying. 

(c) Penmanship. 

(d) Arithmetic : fundamental rules. 



CUSTOMS RULES. 43 

Ganger examination. This examiuation shall not include more than 
the following subjects: 

{a) Orthography. 

{h) Copying. 

(c) Penmanship. 

{(I) Arithmetic: practical questions. 

[e) Theoretical questions. 

(/) Practical tests. 

Examiner examination. This examination shall not include more 
than the following subjects : 

[a) Orthography. 

{!)) Copying. 

(c) Penmanship, 

(d) Arithmetic : fundamental rules, fractions, percentage, and dis- 
count. 

(e) Elements of the English language. 
(/) Practical questions. 

(<7) Practical tests. 

Sampler examination. This examination shall not include more than 
the following subjects : 

{a) Orthography. 

(&) Copying. 

(c) Penmanship. 

{d) Arithmetic: fundamental rules. 

(e) Practical questions. 

(/) Practical tests. 

Otlier co7npetltive examinations. Such other competitive examinations 
as the commission may from time to time determine to be necessary in 
testing fitness for other places in the classified customs servace. 

Non-competitive examinations. Such examinations may, with the ap- 
proval of the commission, be held under conditions stated in General 
Eule III, clause 2. 

2. Any person not under twenty-one years of age may be examined 
for anyplace in the customs service, to test fitness for which an exami- 



44 lAWS, EULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

nation is prescribed ; and any person not under twenty years of age 
may be examined for clerk or messenger. 

3. A jierson desiring examination for admission to the classified cus- 
toms service must make request, in his own handwriting, for a blank 
form of application, w^hich request, and also his application, shall be 
addressed as directed by the commission. 

4. The date of reception and also of approval by the board of each 
of such applications shall be noted on the application paper. 

5. Exceptions from examination in the classified customs service arc 
hereby made as follows : 

(a) Deputy collectors, who do not also act as inspectors, examiners, 
or clerks. 

{h) Cashier of the collector. 

(c) Assistant cashier of the collector. 

{d) Auditor of the collector. 

(c) Chief acting disbursing officer 

(/) Deputy naval officers. 

(g) Deputy surveyors. 

{h) One private secretary or one confidential clerk of each nominat 
ing officer. 

G. 'Eo persons appointed to a i)lace under any exception to exami 
nation hereby made shall, within one year after appointment, be 
transferred from such place to another place not also excepted from 
examination ; but a person who lias served not less than one year in 
an examination-excepted jilace may be transferred in the customs 
office in whicTa he is serving to a i^lace not excepted from examination : 
Provided, That before any such transfer may be made the commission 
must certify that the person whom it is proposed to so transfer has 
passed an examination to test fitness for the place proposed to be 
filled by such transfer. 

Customs Rule III. 

1. The papers of every examination shall be marked under direction 
of the commission, and each competitor shall be graded on a scale of 
100, according to the general average determined by the marks made 
by the examiners on bis papers. 



1 



CUSTOMS RULES. 45 

2. The commission shall appoint in each classified customs district 
a board of examiners, which shall — 

{a) Conduct all examinations held to test fitness for admission to or 
promotion in the classified service of the customs district in which the 
board is located. 

(h) Mark the papers of such examinations, unless otherwise directed, 
as provided for by General Eule III, clause 12. 

(c) Conduct such examinations for the classified departmental service 
as the commission may direct. 

3. The papers of an examination having been marked, the board of 
examiners shall ascertain — 

(a) The name of every competitor who has, under section 1754 of the 
Eevised Statutes, claim of preference in civil appointments, and who 
has attained a general average of not less than G5 per centum ; and all 
such competitors are hereby declared eligible to the class or place to 
test fitness for which the examination was held. 

(&) The name of every other. competitor who has attained a general 
average of not less than 70 per centum ; and all such applicants are 
hereby declared eligible to the class or i:>lace to test fitness for which 
the examination was held. 

4. The names of all preference-claiming competitors whose general 
average is not less than 05 per centum, together with the names of all 
other competitors whose general average is not less than 70 per centum, 
shall be entered upon the register of persons eligible to the class or 
place to test fitness for which the examination was held. The names 
of male and of female eligibles shall be listed separatel3% 

5. The grade of each competitor shall be expressed by the whole 
number nearest the general average attained by him, and the grade of 
each eligible shall be noted upon the register of eligibles in connection 
with his name. When two or more eligibles are of the same grade, 
preference in certification shall be determined by the order in which 
their application papers were filed. 

6. Immediately after the general averages in an examination shall 
have been ascertained, each competitor shall be notified that he has 
passed or has failed to pass. 



46 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

7. If a competitor fail to pass, he may, with the consent of the board, 
approved by the commission, bo allowed re-examination at any time 
within six mouths from the date of failure, without filing a new appli- 
cation. But a competitor failing to pass, desiring to take again the 
same examination, must, if not allowed reexamination Avithin six 
months from the date of failure, make, in due form, a new application 
tberefor. 

8. No person who has passed an examination shall, while eligible on 
the register supplied by such examination, be re examined, unless he jj 
shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the commission that at the time 
of his examination he was, because of illness or for other good cause, 
incapable of doing himself justice in said examination. 

9. The term of eligibilit^'^ to appointment in the classified customs 
service shall be one year from the day on which the name of the ' 
eligible is entered on the register. 

Customs Eule IV. 

1. Vacancies in the lowest class or grade of the classified service of a 
customs district shall be tilled in the following manner : 

(«) The nominatinglofiDccr, in any office in which a vacancy may exist, 
shall, in form and manner to be prescribed by the commission, request 
the board of examiners to certify to him the names of either males or 
females eligible to tlie vacant place. 

(b) If fitness for the place to be filled is tested by competitive exami- 
nation, the board of examiners shall certify tbe names of three males 
or three females, these names to be those of the eligibles who, standing 
higher in grade than any other three eligibles of tbe same sex on the 
register from which certification is to be made, have not been certified 
three times from said register: Provided, That if upon said register 
there are the names of eligibles who, under section 1754 of the Eevised 
Statutes, have claim of preference in civil appointments, the names of 
such eligibles shall be certified before the names of other eligibles 
higher in grade. The commission shall make regulations that will 
secure to each of such preference-claiming eligibles, in the order or 
his grade among other preference claimants, an opportunity to have 



CUSTOMS RULES. 47 

his claim of preference considered and determined by the appointing 
officer, 

(c) Each name on a register of eligibles may be certified only three 
times: Provided, That when a name has been three times certified, if 
there are not three names on the register of higher grade, it may, 
npon the written request of a nominating officer to whom it has not 
been certified, be included in any certification made to said officer. 

2. Of the three names certified the nominating officer must select 
one ; and, if at the time of making this selection there are more vacan- 
cies than one, he may select more than one name. Each person thus 
designated for appointment shall be notified, and upon reporting in 
person to the proper officer shall bo appointed for a probatioual 
period of six months, at the end of which period, if his conduct and 
capacity be satisfactory to the nominating officer, he shall receiv^e 
absolute appointment 5 but if his conduct and capacity be not satis- 
factory to said officer, he shall be notified that he will not receive 
absolute appointment, and this notification shall discharge him from 
the service. 

3. Every nominating officer in the classified customs service shall 
require the officer under whom a probationer may be serving to care- 
fully observe and report in writing the services rendered by and the 
character and qualifications of such probationer. These reports shall 
be preserved on file, and the commission may prescribe the form and 
manner in which they shall be made. 

4. All other vacancies, unless among the places excepted from ex- 
amination, shall be filled by transfer or promotion. 

Customs Eule V. 

1. Until promotion regulations have been applied to a classified cus- 
toms district, tlie following promotions may be made therein at any 
time after absolute appointment : 

(a) A clerk, upon any test of fitness determined upon by the nomi- 
nating officer, to any vacant place in the class next above the one in 
which he may be serving. 



48 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

(b) A day inspector, iipou auy test of fitness determined upon by 
the nomiuatiug officer, to class 2 in the grade of clerk. 

(c) A clerk, day inspector, opener-and-packer, or sampler, after pass- 
ing the examiner examination, to tbe grade of examiner. 

(d) A messenger, after passing tbe clerk examination, to tbe lowest 
class in tbe grade of clerk. 

(c) A nigbt inspector, after passing tbe day-inspector examination, 
to tbe grade of day inspector. 

2. Otber promotions may bo made, in tbe discretion of tbe promot- 
ing officer, upon any test of fitness determined upon by bim. 

Customs Rule VI. 

1. Transfers may be made as follows : 

(a) From one office of a classified district to anotber office in tbe 
same district, subject to tbe provisions of Customs Rule V. 

(b) From one classified district to anotber, upon requisition by tbe 
Secretary of tbe Treasury. 

(c) From any bureau of tbe Treasury Department in wbicb business 
relating to customs is transacted to any classified customs district, and 
from any such district to any such bnreau, upon requisition by tbe 
Secretary of tbe Treasury. 

2. No person may be transferred, as herein authorized, until the board 
of examiners, acting under («.) of clause 1, or until the commission, 
acting under {b) or (c) of clause 1, of this rule, shall have certified to 
tbe officer making the transfer requisition that the person whom it 
is proposed to transfer has passed an examination to test fitness for 
the place to wbicb be is to be transferred, and that such person has 
been at least six months preceding the date of tlie certificate in tbe 
classified service of the department or customs district from which 
tbe transfer is to be made. 

Customs Kule VII. 

Upon requisition of a nominating officer in any customs district the 
board of examiners thereof shall certify for reinstatement in any office 
under his jurisdiction, in a grade requiring no higher examination than 
tbe one in wbicb be was formerly employed, any person who, within one 



II 



POSTAL RULES. 49 

year next precediug' the date of the requisition, lias, tbrougli uo delin- 
qaency or miscoudiict, beeu separated from the classified service of 
said office. 

Customs Eule VIII. 

Each nominating officer of a classified customs district shall report 
to the board of examiners — 

(a) Every probational and absolute appointment, and every appoint- 
ment under any exception to examination authorized by Customs Eule 
II, clause 5, made within his jurisdiction. 

(h) Every refusal by him to nominate a probationer for absolute ap- 
pointment, and every refusal or neglect to accept an appointment in 
the classified service under him. 

(c) Every transfer into the classified service under hhu. 

{d) Every separation from the iilasslfied service under him, and 
whether the separation was caused by dismissal, resignation, or death. 
Places excepted from examination are within the classified service. 

(e) Every restoration to the classified service under him of any per- 
son who may have been separated therefrom by dismissal or resigna- 
tion. 

POSTAL EULES. 

Postal Eule I. 

1. The classified postal service shall include the officers, clerks, and 
other persons in the several postoffices classified under the provis- 
ions of section 6 of the act to regulate and improve the civil-service of 
the United States, approved January IG, 1883. 

2. Whenever the officers, clerks, and other persons in any postofiice 
number as many as fifty, any existing classification of the postal serv- 
ice made by the Postmaster-General under section G of ,the act of 
January 16, 1883, sliall apply thereto ; and thereafter the commission 
shall provide examinations to test the fitness of persons to fill vacan- 
cies in said postoffice ; and these rules shall be in force therein. 
Every revision of the classification of any postoffice, under section 6 

19402 c s -4 



50 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

of the act above mentioued, and every iuclusiou of a i)ostoffice within 
the classified postal service, shall be reported to the President. 

Postal Eule II. 



m 

thin ■ I 

i 



^i 



1. To test fitness for admission to the classified postal service, exam- 
inations shall be provided as follows : 

Clerk examination. This examination shall not include more than 
the following subjects : * 

(a) Orthography. 

{!)) Copying-. 

(c) Penmanship. 

{d) Arithmetic : fundamental rules, fractions, and percentage. 

(e) Elements of the English language. 

(/) Letter-writing. 

{g) Elements of the geography, history, aud government of the 
United States. 

Carrier examination. This examination shall not include more than 
the following subjects : 

(a) Orthography. 

(b) Copying. 

(c) Penmanship. 

(d) Arithmetic : fundamental rules. 

(e) Elements of the geography of the United States. 

(f) Knowledge of the locality of the postoifice delivery. 
{g) Physical tests. 

Messenger examination. This examination shall not include more 
than the following subjects; 

(a) Orthography. 

(b) Copying. 

(c) Penmanship. 

(d) Arithmetic : fundamental rules. 

(e) Physical tests. 

This examination shall also be used to test fitness for the positio!* 
of piler, stamper, junior clerk, or other place, the duties of which are 
chiefly manual. 



POSTAL KULES. 51 

Special examinations. These examinations sball test fitness for posi- 
tions requiring knovTledge of a language other than the English 
language, or special or technical knowledge or skill. Each special 
examination shall include, in addition to the special subject upon 
which the applicant is to be tested, as many of the subjects of the 
clerk examination as the commission may determine. 

Non-competitive examinations. Such examinations may, with the ap- 
proval of the commission, be held under conditions stated in General 
Rule III, clause 2. 

2. ISTo x>erson shall be examined for the position of clerk if under 
eighteen years of age ; and no person shall be examined for the posi- 
tion of messenger, stamper, or junior clerk if under sixteen or over 
forty-five years of age 5 and no person shall be examined for the posi- 
tion of carrier if under twenty one or over forty years of age. I^^o 
person shall be examined for any other position in the classified 
postal service if under eighteen or over forty-five years of age. 

3. Any person desiring examination for admission to the classified 
postal service must make request, in his own handwriting, for a blank 
form of application, which request, and also his api)lication, shall be 
addressed as directed by the commission. 

4. The date of reception and also of approval by the board of each 
of such applications shall be noted on the application paper. 

5. Exceptions from examination in the classified postal service are 
hereby made as follows : 

{a) Assistant postmaster. 

(h) One private secretary, or one confidential clerk of the postmaster. 

(c) Cashier. 

{d) Assistant cashier. 

(e) Superintendents designated by the Postoffice Department, and 
reported as such to the commission. 

(/) Custodians of money, stamps, stamped envelopes, or postal-cards, 
designated as such by the Postofflce Department, and so reported to 
the commission, for whose fidelity the postmaster is under official bond. 

G. No person api^ointed to a place under any exception to examina- 
tion hereby made shall, within one year after aj)pointment, be trans- 



52 LAWS, liULES, AND KEGULATIONS. 

ferred to another place uot also excepted from examination ; but a per- 
son who has served not less than one year in an examination-excepted 
place may be transferred in the postoffice in which he is serving to 
a place not excepted from examination: Provided, That before any 
such transfer may be made the commission must certify that the 
person whom it is proposed to so transfer has passed an examination 
to test fitness for the place proposed to.be filled by such transfer. 

Postal Rule III- 

1. The i)apers of every examination shall be marked under the direc- 
tion of the commission, and eacli competitor shall be graded on a scale 
of 100, according to the general average determined by the marks made 
by the examiners on his papers. 

2. The commission shall appoint in each classified postoffice a 
board of examiners, which shall — 

(«) Conduct all examinations held to test fitness for entrance to or 
promotion in the classified service of the postofQce in which the 
board is located. 

{h) Mark the jiapers of such examinations, unless otherwise directed 
as provided for by General Rule III, clause 12. 

(c) Conduct such examinations for the classified departmental serv- 
ice as the commission may direct. 

3. The papers of an examination having been marked, the board of 
examiners shall ascertain — 

(rt) The name of every competitor who has, under section 1751 of the 
Revised Statutes, claim of preference in civil appointments, and who 
has attained a general average of not less than 05 per centum ; and all 
such competitors are hereby declared eligible to the class or place to 
test fitness for which the examination was held. 

(&) The name of every other competitor who has attaiued a general 
average of not less than 70 per centum ; and all such applicants are 
hereby declared eligible to the class or place to test fitness for which 
the examination was held. 

4. The names of all preferenc" -claiming competitors whose general 
average is not less than 05 per centum, together with the names of all 



POSTAL RULES. 53 

other competitors whose general average is not less than 70 per centum, 
shall be entered upon the register of persons eligible to the class or 
place to test fitness for which the examination was held. The names 
of male and of female eligibles shall be listed separately. 

5. The grade of each competitor shall be expressed by the wbole 
number nearest the general average attained by him, and the grade of 
each eligible shall be noted upon the register of eligibles in connection 
with his name. When two or more eligibles are of the same grade, 
preference in certification shall be determined by the order in which 
their application papers were filed. 

G. Immediately after the general averages shall have been ascer- 
tained, each competitor shall be notified that he has passed or has 
failed to pass. 

7. If a competitor fail to pass, he may, with the consent of the board, 
approved by the commission, be allowed re-examination at auy time 
within six months from the date of failure, without filing a new ai^pli- 
catiou. But a competitor failing to pass, desiring to take again the 
same examination, must, if not allowed re-examination within six 
months from the date of failure, mahe, in due form, a new application 
therefor. 

8. No person who has passed an examination shall, while eligible on 
the register supplied by such examination, be re-examined, unless he 
shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the commission that at the time 
of his examination he was, because of illness or for other good cause, 
incapable of doing himself justice in said examination. 

9. The term of eligibility to appointment in the classified i^ostal 
service shall be one year from the day on which the name of the eli- 
-gible is entered on the register. 

Postal Rule IV. 

1. Vacancies in the classified service of a postoffice, unless among 
the places excepted from examination, if not filled by either transfer or 
promotiou, shall be filled in the following manner: 

(ft) The postmaster at a postofifice in which a vacancy may exist shall, 
in form and manner to be prescribed by the commission, request the 



I 



54 LAWS, KULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

board of examiners to certify to birn the names of either males or 
females eligible to the vacant place. 

(h) If fitness for the place to be filled is tested by competitive exam- 
ination, the board of examiners shall certify the names of three males 
or three females, these names to be those of the eligibles who, standin 
higher in grade than any otlicr three eligibles of the same sex on th 
register from which certification is to be made, have not been certified 
three times from said register: Provided, That if npon said registeiA 
there are the names of eligibles who, under section 1754 of the Eevised 
Statutes, have claim of preference in civil appointments, the names of 
such eligibles shall be certified before the names of other eligibles 
higher in grade. The commission shall make regulations that will se- 
cure to each of such iireference-clairaing eligibles, in the order of his 
grade among other preference claimants, opportunity to have his claim 
of preference considered and determined by the appointing officer. 

(c) Eacli name on any register of eligibles may be certified only three 
times. 

2. Of the three names certified to him the postmaster must select 
one ; and if, at the time of making this selection, there are more vacan- 
cies than one, he may select more than one name. Each iierson thus 
designated for appointment shall be notified, and upon reporting in 
person to the postmaster shall be appointed for a probational period 
of six months, at the end of which period, if his conduct and capacity 
be satisfactory to the postmaster, he shall receive absolute appoint- 
ment j but if Ids conduct and capacity be not satisfactory to said 
ofiBcer he shall be notified that he will not receive absolute appoint- 
ment, and this notification shall discharge him from the service. 

3. The postmaster of each classified postoffice shall require the 
superintendent of each division of his office to carefully observe and 
report in writing the services rendered by and the character and quali- 
fications of each probationer serving under him. These reports shall 
be preserved on file, and the commission may prescribe the form and 
manner in which they shall be made. 



POSTAL RULES. . 55 

Postal Eule V. 

Until j)romotiou regulations shall have been applied to a classified 
postoffice, iiromotioiis therein may be made upon any test of fitness 
determined upon by the postmaster, if not disapproved by the commis- 
sion : Provided, That no employe shall be promoted to any grade he 
could not enter by appointment under the minimum-age limitation 
applied thereto by Postal Eule II, clause 2. 

Postal Eule VI. 

1. Transfers may be made as follows : 

(a) From one classified postoffice to another, upon requisition of the 
Postmaster-General. 

(b) From any classified postoffice to the Postoffice Department, and 
from the Postofiflce Department to any classified postoffice, upon requi- 
sition of the Postmaster-General, 

2. No person may be transferred, as herein autliorized, until the 
commission shall have certified to the officer making the transfer 
requisition that the person whom it is proposed to transfer has passed 
an examination to test fitness for the place to which he is to be trans- 
ferred, and that such person has been at least six months next pre- 
ceding the date of the certificate in the classified service of the depart- 
ment or postoffice from which the transfer is to be made. 

Postal Eule VII. ' 

Upon the requisition of a postmaster the board of examiners for his 
office shall certify for re-iustatement, in a grade requiring no higher 
examination than the one in which he was formerly employed^ any 
person who, within one year next preceding the date of the requisi- 
tion, has, through no delinquency or misconduct, been separated from 
the classified service in said office. 



56 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

Postal Rule VIII. 

Each postmaster in the classified postal service shall report to the 
board of examiners : 

(a) Every jirobational and every absolute aiipointment, and every 
appointment under any exception to examination authorized by Postal 
Eule II, clause 5, made in his office. 

(h) Every refusal to make an absolute appointment in his office, and 
every refusal or neglect to accept an appointment in the classified serv- 
ice under him. 

(c) Every transfer into the classified service uiuler him. 

{(l) Every separation from the classified service under him, and 
whether the separation was caused by dismissal, resignation, or death. 
Places excepted from examination arc within the classified service. 

(e) Every restoration to the classified service under him of any per- 
son who may have been separated therefrom by dismissal or resigna- 
tion. 

Approved February 2, 18SS. 

These rules sliall take effect March 1, 1888. 



REGULATIONS. 



Adopting Order. 

The United States Civil-Service Commission, acting under authority 
of the act entitled " An act to regulate and improve the civil- 
service of the United States," approved January 10, 1883, and 
of the rules promulgated by the President, hereby makes the 
following regulations, and revokes all regulations heretofore made 
under authority of the act and rules aforesaid except the regula- 
tions governing promotion in the ISTew York customs district and 
in the War Department, which shall remain in fall force and effect. 



GENERAL REGULATIO:f^S. 
Regulation I. 

DUTIES OP SECRETARY. 

The secretary shall make minutes of the proceedings of the com- 
mission, and record them in a book to be kept for that purpose 
and to be entitled " Record of Proceedings." He shall have charge 
of the secretary's division of the commission, and shall have cus- 
tody of and be responsible for the safe-keeping of the books, rec- 
ords, papers, and other property thereof. He shall enter upon the 
registers of eligibles the names of persons eligible to places in the 
classified departmental service, and, by direction of the commis- 
sion, upon proper requisition therefor, make certification thereof. 

He shall i^erform such other duties as the commission may direct. 

57 



58 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

Regulation II, 

DUTIES OF CHIEF EXAMINER. 

The cliief examiner shall, under direction of the commission, 
supervise examinations, and act, as far as practicable, with the ex- 
amining boards, to the best of his ability securing accuracy, uni- 
formity, and justice in their proceedings. He shall have charge of the 
examiner's division of the commission, and shall have the custody 
and be responsible for the safe-keeping of the books, records, papers, 
and other property thereof. To him shall be referred all application 
papers for the classified departmental service, and such other applica- 
tion i^apers as the commission may direct, which he must api^rove or 
return to applicants for correction. He shall make arrangements for 
examinations; prepare and have printed, or supervise the preparation 
and ininting, of the questions to be used in examinations in all the 
branches of the classified service; consider and report upon all com- 
l)laints or appeals referred to him ; make an annual report of the work 
done under his supervision and of its results ; and perform such other 
duties as may be imposed upon him by the commission. 

Regulation III. 

ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES OF BOARDS OF EXAMINERS. 

1. The chairman and the secretary of each board of examiners 
shall be appointed by the commission upon nominations made by 
the bora-d as hereinafter directed, and shall perform the duties here- 
inafter assigned to them respectively. 

2. The central board, and every departmental, customs, and postal 
board shall, in accordance with Regulation VI, mark such examination 
l^apcrs as m.ay be referred to them by the commission; and shall, when 
required, assist the chief examiner in the preparation of examination 
questions. Members of such boards shall, when so directed by the 
commission, attend and supervise examinations. 



GENERAL, REGULATIONS. 59 

3. The central board shall, upon request of the chief examiner, 
revise and re-mark the papers of any competitor who having been 
examined for any branch of the service has made complaint of injus- 
tice done him by the examiners by whom his papers were marked; and 
in sucii cases all papers that would disclose the name or identity of the 
competitor shall be withheld from the board. 

4. Customs and postal boards shall be organized in the following 
manner, and the ofiicers thereof shall iierform the duties hereinafter 
specified : 

(«.) Every year, on the first Thursday of July, at 10 o'clock a. m., 
every customs and postal board shall meet, and, by ballot vote, shall 
nominate one of its members for appointment as chairman and one 
of its members for appointment as secretary. The result of this 
vote shall be reported to the commission. The member nominated 
for chairman shall enter upon the discharge of the duties of chairman, 
and the member nominated for secretary shall enter ujion the dis- 
charge of the duties of secretary, as soon as the result of the nominat- 
ing vote shall have been announced, and each may serve until his suc- 
cessor shall have been nominated at the next succeeding annual meet- 
ing, unless the commission refuse to confirm his nomination and shall 
make another ajipointment than that advised by the board. When a 
vacancy shall occur in the office of chairman or of secretary, the 
board shall, at a meeting ordered for the purpose, nominate a member 
to fill the vacancy ; and the nominee shall, upon the announcement of 
the nominating vote, become acting chairman or secretary, and may 
continue to act until his successor shall have been nominated at the 
next succeeding annual meeting, unless the commission refuse to con- 
firm the nomination and shall appoint another member to the vacant 
place. 

(Z>) Each customs and each jiostal board shall meet for the transac- 
tion of business on the first Thursday of each montn, at 10 o'clock a. m., 
unless some other hour shall be determined upon by the board. At 
the regular monthly meeting the board shall agree upon a report to be 
made to the commission, in which report the transactions of the board 



60 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

during the i)rcceding month shall be stated, and suggestions concern- 
ing the business of the board or the condition of the service be made. 

(c) Upon his own motion the chairman may, and upon the written 
request of any other two members of the board or the direction of the 
commission he shall, call a special meeting of the board, giving to 
each member at least one day's written notice of the time and place 
of the proposed meeting. 

(d) The chairman shall i^erform whatever duties the commission, or 
the board acting by authority of the commission, may impose upon 
him. When iiresent, he shall preside at the meetings of the board. In 
his absence, any other member may be called to the chair. 

(e) Tlie secretar3^ shall— 
Make minutes of the proceedings of the board, and record tliem in a 

book to be kept for tliat i)nrpose. 

Keep, according to the form j)rescribed l)^" the commission, a record 
of all applications. 

Mail to each applicant, at least eight days before an examination, a 
notice of the time and place at which such examination will be held: 
Provided, That if the commission, in ordering an examination, slinll 
instruct the board that only a limited number of the applicants for 
the examination shall be examined, the secretary shall give the notice 
herein i)rescribed to no more than the number determined upon; the 
applicants to be notified in the order of the filing of their applications. ||j 

When an examination shall have been conducted by the board, 
report such examination to the commission upon the blank form pre- 
scribed. 

Report, upon the blank form prescribed, every competitive and non- 
competitive examination by the board. 

Keep registers of the persons eligible to appointment. 

Upon request of an appointing or nominating officer for the names 
of i^ersons eligible to an existing vacancy, make certification in ac- 
cordance with the customs or postal rule applicable thereto: Pro- 
vided, That the whole list of names of persons who have passed a non- 
competitive examination shall be certified. 



GENERAL KEGULATIONS. 61 

Make monthly report, upon the blank form prescribed, of every 
certification made by the board, and of all matters reported to the 
board by the appointing or nominating officer. 

Notify the commission when, in the opinion of ths board, a ne- 
cessity exists for holding an examination in addition to the regular 
examinations. 

Have charge of all books and papers of the board, and be re- 
sponsible for their safe-keeping. 

Perform such other duties as the commission, or the board act- 
ing by its authority, may impose npou him. 

5. The members of the several boards shall perform such other 
duties as the commission may from time to time impose upon them. 

C. Neither boards of examiners nor individual members thereof 
may answer inquiries not ofiQcially before them; and neither the 
central board, nor a special or a supplementary board, shall decide 
or express an opinion on any question concerning the law or the rules. 

7. The central board shall be composed of as many members as 
the commission may from time to time determine uj)on. 

8. A special or a supplementary board Shall be composed of not 
less than three nor more than five members. 

9. A postal board shall be composed of not less than three nor 
more than five members. 

10. A customs board shall be composed of not less than three 
nor more than nine members. 



62 ' ETWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

Regulation IV. 

APPLICATION FOR EXAMINATION. 

1. Applications for examination for admission to the classified 
departmental service sball be made in the following form : 
UNITED STATES CIVIL-SERVICE COMMISSION. 

APPLICATION FOR EXAMINATION. 

Classified departmental service. 

To the United States Civil-Sekvice Commissiun, 

Washington, D. C. : 

Ij , hereby apply for the exaiiiinatioii, and ou oath 

declare that, to the best of my knowledge aud belief, (he answers made by me 
to the following questions are true: 



Questions. 



Tour Christian name and surname ? [in full] 



Are you a citizen of the United States ? 

If a naturalized citizen, when and where were you nat- 
uralized ? 



Of what state or territory are you an actual buna fide 
[legal] resident? 

How long have you been a resident thereof? 

Of what town orcityand county or parishare you a resi- 
dent? 



now long have you been a resident thereof 1. 
Your present postofflco address ? 



The day and year of your birth 'i 

Your age last birthday ? 

Where were you born ? 



Your education? [Mention the kiud of school at which 
you were educated ; whether common school, high 
school, business college, academj', or college] 

How old were you when you finally (luitted school ? 



Are you married ? 



How many members of your family are in the classified 
service ? 



Have you over been convicted of, or are you under indict- 
ment for, any crime ? 



GENERAL REGULATIONS. 



63 



Questions. 



9 Do you habitually use intoxicating beverages to excess ! 



Aie you physically capable of a full discharge of the 
duties of the position to which you are seeking ap- 
pointment ? 



Have you any defect of sight ? . . 
of hearing 
of speech ! 
of limb? .. 



Answers. 



Have you been examined for the classified service since 
July 16, 1883? 

For the departmental, customs, or postal service ? 

When and where? 

Did you pass ? 

"Were you appointed ? 

To what place, and when? 

Are you now in the service ? 

Were you dismissed for delinquency or misconduct? 

Were you dismissed for any other cause; and if so, 
what? 

When? 



Are you in the military or in the naval service of the 
United States? 



Are you an enlisted man ? 

Were you ever in the mili tary service of the United States 1 

In what company and regiment did you servo? 

Were you ever in the naval service of the United States?. 

On what vessel did you serve ? 

Were yoa honorably discharged, and when? 

Were you honorably discharged on account of disability 
resulting from sickness or wounds received in the line 
of duty ? [State particularly when, where, and how tho 
disability was incurred] , 



18 



Tour place of abode [city, or town, and State] during 
18—? 



Your occupation, business, employment, or position dur- 
ing that year ? 

Name of your employer, and his business ? 

Present postoffice address of employer ? 

Length of stay with employer 1 [Give dates] 

Cause of leaving ? 



From to. 



LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 



13 



Questions. 



18.... 

Your place of abode during 18—? 

Your occupation, business, emi)loynient, or position dur- 
ing tliat year? 

Name of your employer, and his business ? 

Present postoflice address of emploj'or ? 

Length of stay witli employer ? 

Cause of leaving ? 

18.... 

Your place of abode during 18 —? 

Your occupation, business, employment, or position dur- 
ing that year? .-- 

Name of your employer, and his business ? 

Present postoflice address of employer ? 

Length of stay with employer ? : 

Cause of leaving 

18.... 

Your present place of abode ? 

Your present occupation, business, employment, or posi- 
tion? 



Name of your employer, and his business ' 
Postoflice address of employer ? 



Answers. 



From to. 



From to 



14 



If this application is for the copyist or the clerk ex- 
amination, and you wish to be examined in any of the 
supplementary subjects, in which of them ? 



In witness wliercof, I have liereunto subscribed uiy uame tbis day of 

18 — , at , couuty of aud state of . 

[Applicant's signature :] 



[Postoflice address :] , 

[The following oatU must be taken before a notary public, or other officer author- 
ized to administer oaths for general purposes, and his signature must be authenti- 
cated by olficial seal.] 



-, a resident of ■ 



-, county of 



-, and state of ■ 



to me per- 



sonally known, having been sworn [or affirmed] before me, declares that he is the 
person described in the foregoing application for examination under the United 
States civil-service act aud rules; that all of the answers to the questions con- 
tained in said application as above set forth were written with his own hand ; and 
that all of the statements contained in said answers are true to the best of his 
knowledge aud belief. 



Sworn to and subscribed before me this 
of and state [or territory] 



day of 



-, 18—, at ■ 



-, county 



[Officer's seal.] 



[Signature of officer. ] 

[Official title.] 



GENERAL REGULATIONS. 



65 



2. Each of three citizens who have known the applicant for exami- 
nation for the cLassified departmental service one year or longer must 
make a statement in the following form : 

[These statements must be procured by tlie applicant, and tlie persons making them 
must be bona fide [legal] residents of the state, territory, or district in which the ap- 
plicant claims actual bona fide residence, and one of them must be a resident of the city, 
town, county, or parish in which the applicant claims residence. An api)licaut who 
cannot obtain a statement from each of three bona fide residents of the state, territory, 
or district in which he claims residence, that he, the applicant, is personally known 
to each of said persons as a bona fide resident of said state, territory, or district, shall 
not be examined for the classified departmental service. Each of the vouchers must 
send his statement to the commission by mail. Three blank forms of the " Statement 
concerning applicant" must be furnished with each blank form of application. No 
recommendation of an applicant other than that contained in the statements concern- 
ing him will be received Uj the commission.] 

UNITED STATES CIVIL-SERVICE COMMISSION. 

STATEMENT COXCERNIXG APPLICANT. 

Classified departmenial service. 
To the United States Civil-Service Commission, 

WasMngion, D. C. : 
I, the undersigned, hereby certify and declare upon my honor that I am personally 

acquainted with , of , county of , state of . I also 

liereby certify and declare upon my honor that the answers made by me to the fol- 
lowing questions are in my own handwriting, and are true to the best of my knowl- 
edge and belief: 





Questions. 


Answers. 


1 












3 


Tour residence ? [Give city or town, the county or par- 















How long have you lived at your present place of resi- 
dence ? 



Are you well acquainted with the applicant named above ' 



How long have you known said applicant i 



Are you related to the applicant? 
What is the relationship 



Has the applicant been iu your employment ' 
How long was applicant employed by you ? . 



If the applicant has been in business on his or her own 
account, can you state the nature of that business, 
and for how long. he or she has carried it on ? 



Of what state or territory is the applicant an actual, 
bona fide [legal] resident? 

How long has he or she resided therein? 

Of what county or parish is the applicant a resident?. 

How long has he or she resided therein ? 

Of what town or city is the applicant a resident? 

How long has ho or she resided therein ? 



19402 s 5 



6G 



LAWS, RULES, AND EEGULATIONS. 



Questions. 



Answers. 



lO 



What do you know of tlie applicant's etlucatiou and 
acqiiiienicnts ? 



11 



What bas been tbe conilitiou of the applicant's bcalth 
since you bavo known bim or her ? 



13 



Is tbo applicant addicted to the use of intoxicating 
beverages ? - - - 



13 



Is the applicant a person of good moral character ? . 



14 Is the applicant a person of good repute ? 



13 



Are you aware of any circumstances tendiug to dis- 
qualify the applicant for the public service? 



1(> 



"Would you yourself trust tbe applicant with employ- 
ment requiring undoubted honesty, and would you 
recommend him or her for such to your' personal 
f I icnds 1 



[Date.] 



[Signature.] — 
[PostofiQce address.] 



3. Applications for examination for admission to the classified cus- 
toms service or the classified postal service shall be substantially in 
the same form as the foregoing form of application. Requests for blank 
forms of application and applications for examination for the customs 
service must be addressed as follows : " Secretary of Customs Board 

of Civil-Service Examiners, city of- , state of -j" and for 

the postal service, as follows : •' Secretary of the Postal Board of Civil- 
Service Examiners, city of , state of ." 

4. No statements concerning api)licants for admission to the classified 
customs service or the classified postal service shall be required, and 
no recommendation of an applicant shall be indorsed on any application 
paper or be received by the board of examiners. 

5. Applications for noncompetitive examinations for admission to 
any branch of the classified service must be made in form and manner 
as prescribed above for competitive examinations. 

G. The name of every applicant whose application paper has been 
api)roved must be entered, in the order of the serial number of said 
paper, upon a record to be known as the "Kecord of Applications," 



GENERAL REGULATIONS. 67 

which shall show the examination applied for, the age, residence, and 
education of the applicant, and other facts concerning him. 

7. Applications shall be indorsed by the secretary of the commission, 
or by the secretary of the board of examiners, with the date of recep- 
tion, and shall, when approved, be numbered serially in the order of 
approval by the chief examiner, or by the secretary of the board of 
examiners, who shall note thereon the date and hour of approval, which 
shall be held to be the date and hour of filing, and shall determine the 
order of entry of such applications upon the record of applications. 

8. Every defective application paper must be returned to the appli- 
cant for correction ; but every application paper showing the applicant 
to not be entitled to examination must remain on file with the commis- 
sion or the board, and the applicant must be informed why he cannot 
be admitted to the examination requested by him. 

Eegulation Y. 
examinations. 

1. Two examinations for each classified customs district and post- 
of&ce shall be held every year, as follows: In each customs district, one 
commencing on the first Tuesday of April and the other on the first 
Tuesday of October j in each postoffice, one commencing on the first 
Tuesday of February, and the other on the first Tuesday of August; to 
continue from day to day, if necessary, until all applicants present upon 
regular notification have had an opportunity to be examined. In the 
event of either of the days above named falling on a public holiday, the 
examination shall begin on the following day: Provided., That the com 
mission shall order such additional examinations as may be required. 
JSTot less than twenty days' notice of the necessity for an additional ex- 
amination must be given by the board requesting such examination, 
unless, in the opinion of the commission, the exigencies of the service 
require an examination to be held on shorter notice. 

2. An applicant for a customs or a postal examination can not be 
examined at any other custom-house or postoffice than the one in 
which he is seeking to enter the classified service. 



68 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

3. If aQ applicant fail to receive clue notice of an examination, or if 
he shall give a reason satisfactory to the commission or the board of 
examiners for failure to attend an examination of which he may have 
received due notice, he shall be notified to attend the next examination 
for the same class or place. 

4. Examiners in charge of any examination shall be diligent in 
securing fairness therein. 

5. The examination sheets shall be numbered. 

C. Each competitor shall be designated by a number, to be known as 
his examination number, which he must place in figures at the head 
of each examination sheet that he may use. 

7. At the commencement of an examination each competitor must 
fill the blanks in the "declaration sheet." He must also write his 
examination number, and nothing else, upon an envelope; into this 
envelope he must put the declaration sheet, and then seal the envel- 
ope. The envelope thus sealed must be delivered by the competitor to 
one of the examiners in charge, and it must not be opened until after 
the competitor's jiapers shall have been marked and his general aver- 
age ascertained. 

8. As soon as the envelopes containing the declaration sheets shall 
all have been delivered, sheet 1 shall be given to the competitors, and 
as soon as it shall have been completed sheet 2 ; and so on, each of the 
examination sheets in its order, according to its number, no competitor 
being allowed to have two or more sheets at the same time. If, through 
no fault of the competitor, a sheet is spoiled, the examiners in charge 
may destroy the spoiled sheet and give the competitor another sheet of 
the same number. The time when a comi)etitor receives a sheet, and 
the time when he finishes it, must be stated at the top of the sheet. 

9. The examiners in charge shall require every competitor, upon com- 
pletion of each sheet, to surrender the sheet itself and all scrap-paper 
or other paper upon which he may have done preliminary work before 
writing his answers on the sheet. 

10. The answers on examination i)apers must be written with ink; but 
preliminary work, on tablets or scrap-paper, may be done with pencil. 



GENERAL REGULATIONS. 69 

11. lu the dictatiou exercise the passage to be dictated shall first 
be read aloud for iaformation, and then be dictated in groups of 
words, at the rate of not less than fifteen nor more than twenty-five 
words per minute. The examiner who reads the dictation must not 
repeat any group of words, or any word, dictated by him ; but he must 
be careful in giving the dictation to pronounce each word distinctly. 

12. Examiners must make to the whole class all explanations deemed 
necessary, and must not explain any question to any individual com- 
petitor. 

13. After an examination shall have been commenced, no conversa- 
tion or communication of any kind shall be permitted between com- 
petitors. 

14. ISTo examination shall begin earlier than 9 a. m. or continue 
later than 6 p. m. 

15. Every examination must be held in the presence of more than one 
examiner, and in the room set apart either permanently or temporarily 
for such examination. But examinations in type- writing and other sub- 
jects which would annoy other i^ersons being examined (or which 
must necessarily be confined to one person at a time), may be held in 
some room convenient to the general examination room, but where 
they may be under the supervision of more than one examiner. No 
secret or private examination must be permitted. 

16. Each examination, except the examination in book-keeping, or 
other examination especially excepted from this regulation by the com- 
mission must be completed on the day on which it is commenced. 

17. The time allowed for examinations shall be as follows : 

(a) For each of the following-named departmental examinations: 
For copyist, five (5) hours. 
For clerk, seven (7) hours. 
For special pension examiner, seven (7) hours. 
For principal pension examiner, seven (7) hours. 
For medical examiner in the pension-office, seven (7) hours. 
For fourth assistant examiner in the patent-office, seven (7) hours. 
For the State Department, seven (7) hours for the obligatory, and two 
(2) hours for each of the optional, subjects. 



70 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

For type-writiug, three (3) hours. 

For stenography, one (1) hour. 

For modern languages, two (2) hours for eacli language. 

For law clerk, three (3) hours. 

For proof-reading, four (4) hours. 

For draughting (mechanical, topographical, or architectural), nine 
(9) hours. 

For copyist of drawings, six (G) hours. 

The examination in book-keeping shall be held on two successive 
days, seven (7) hours being allowed on the first day and five (5) on 
the second day. The first day shall be devoted to examination on the 
technical subject — book-keeping — and the second shall be devoted to 
examination on the other subjects. 

(&) For each of the following-named customs examinations: 

For clerk, seven (7) hours. 

For law clerk, seven (7) hours. 

For day insi)ector, five (5) hours. 

For inspectress, five (5) hours. 

For night inspector, four (4) hours. 

For messenger, four (4) hours. 

For ganger, seven (7) hours. 

For assistant weigher, five (5) hours. 

For examiner, seven (7) hours. 

For opener-and-packer, four (4) hours. 

For sampler, five (5) hours. 

(c) For each of the following-named postal examinations : 

For clerk, six (G) hours. 

For carrier, five (5) hours. 

For messenger, five (5) hours. 

{(1) Other examinations shall be regulated in the matter of time by 
the commission in the special order providing for such examinations. 

(e) Twenty (20) minutes shall be allowed at the commencement of 
each examination for the work of filling the blanks of the declaration 
sheet and inclosing said sheet in the envelope, and ten (10) minutes 



GENERAL REGULATIONS. 71 

for explanations and instructions by the examiner in charge, wbich 
time will not be included in tbe time allowed for the examination. 

(/) No allowance will be made for time spent out of the examination 
room for lunch or other purposes, and no allowpnce will be made for 
any time lost in the examination room. The examiner in charge must, 
however, be careful not to permit delay in the issuing of question 
sheets. 

18. The examiner in charge must take care that all question 
sheets, whether completed or not, are turned in by the competitors 
at the expiration of the time to which the examination is limited; 
but a proper allowance of time shall be made in the case of any com- 
petitor permitted to commence the examination at an hour subsequent 
to that at which the class commenced. If any competitor abandon his 
examination, or fail to complete it within the time allowed, the ex- 
aminer in charg ^all note the fact upon the last sheec had by such 
competitor. 

19. During an examination no competitor shall leave the room with- 
out first giving notice of his desire to do so. If a competitor leave the 
room before he has finished the sheet on which he is engaged he will 
not be permitted to finish it upon his return; it will be taken up, and 
the next sheet will be given to him. 

20. Should the examiner in charge havo reason to suspect that com- 
petitors have copied from each other, or that they have improperly ob- 
tained information relating to the subject of the examination, the com- 
mission shall be informed thereof, and the examination papers of such 
comj)etitors shall not be marked until the circumstances leading to the 
suspicion shall have been investigated ; and if it be ascertained that 
the competitors have been guilty of the offense imputed to them, their 
papers shall be canceled. 

21. Applicants must supply themselves, for use in an examination, 
with pen, ink, lead-pencils, and erasers, and in technical examina- 
tions (such as draughting) with the necessary instruments. 

22. Except by permission of the commission, chief examiner, or 
board of examiners, no persons except the commissioners, the exam- 



72 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

iners, aud the comiietitois shall be allowed within the room during an 
examination. 

23. No books, notes, maps, or diagrams shall be permitted in the 
examination room for the use or information of the competitors. 

24. A record of all non-competitive examinations shall be kept by 
the commission, and each customs and postal board shall, after each 
of such examinations held by the board, report to the commission all 
the facts in relation thereto. 

25. No request for the examination of an applicant for the customs 
or postal service out of his order, as determined b}^ the number of his 
application pajier, shall be granted. 

26. An applicant who has for any reason been denied examination 
in his order, may appeal to the commission. 

Eegulation VI. 

MARKING OF EXAMINATION PATERS. 

1. As soon as x>racticable after an examination the papers of the 
competitors shall be marked and the general average of each ascer- 
tained. 

2. A competitor, after receiving notice that he has passed or has 
failed to pass, may, in person or bj^ duly authorized agent, inspect, 
in the j)resence of an examiner, his examination papers, and if in 
his opinion injustice has in any way been done him, he may, 
within thirty days after the receipt of notice, appeal to the com- 
mission, specifying particularly and in detail the cause of the com- 
plaint. The commission shall promptly decide all such appeals, and 
may, in the investigation thereof, direct the remarking of appellant's 
papers and change his general average. But no communication from 
a competitor, explanatory of errors presumed to have been made by 
hiui in said examination, shall receive attention. 

3. No request to have the papers of a competitor marked out of 
their order shall be granted. 



GENERAL REGULATIONS. 



73 



4. All examination papers shall be marked under the following rules: 



Mark every correct answer 

Mark every faulty answer according to its value on a scale of 100, 
and ascertain the value of a faulty answer as follows : Mark 
eacli error in an answer (error in spelling, capitalization, com- 
putation, punctuation, or by omission, addition, substitution, 
transposition, etc.), as herein specifically directed, and deduct 
the sum of the error-marks of each answer from 100 



100 
The difference between the sum 
of the error-marks of each answer 
and 100 will be the mark of the 
answer. 



OliTHOGRAPHY. Prom 100 

r. 1 . i, t . deduct— 

lor each error in orthography 5 

For each error in capitalization 1 

COPYING — writing from dictation. 
In this exercise no tvord or date may he ahhreviaied. 

For each error in orthography 1 

For each word omitted 2 

For each word inserted or added 2 

For each word substituted t 1 

For each transposition 1 

For each abbreviation 1 

For each error in capitalization! 1 

For each failure to use the period at the end of a sentence, and for each grossly improper use 

of a punctuation mark 1 

For irregularity in loft-hand margin 1 



COPYIXG — writing from plain copy or from rongli draft. 

For each error in orthogra,phy 

For each word or figure § omitted 

For each word inserted or added 

Foi* each word or figure substituted 

For each transposition 

For each abbreviation not in the copy || 

For each failure to capitalize according to copy 

For each failure to punctuate according to copy 

For each failure to paragraph according to copy 

For irregularity in left-hand margin 

For each omission of the hyphen in dividing a word at end of lino 



PENMANSHIP. 

Mark penmanship II on letter according to its value on a scale of 

100. 
Mark penmanship on exercise in copying according to its value 

on a scale of 100. 
Divide the sum of the marks on letter and copying by 2 



The quotient will be the mark 
on penmanship. 



*If, in the dictation for spelling, the competitor spell correctly any other tense of the word dic- 
tated, or any compound thereof, ho shall be given full credit. 

tNo charge shall be made for the omission of the word or words in place of which the substituted 
word or words have been written. 

I See Rules Governing Capitalization, at end of Rules for Marking. 
^ The cipher is considered as a figure. 

II Gojpy, n. A pattern for writing ; that which is to be imitated. " Let bim first learn to write, after 
a copy, all the letters." 

TT In determining the value of penmanship on the letter and in the copying exercise, legibility, for 
mation of letters, and general appearance must be considered. 



74 LAWS, RULES, AND KEGULATIONS. 

ARITHMETIC. 

Notatio)! and Numeration. 

From 100 
deduct — 
Foreacli improper use of the sign $, £■, or other deDomination of quantity, or for tbe substi- 
tution of one for tbe otber 25 

For omission of the decimal point, wbon a decimal is required 75 

For error in denomination of decimal: for eacb place, not exceeding tbree 25 

For an intended decimal expressed as a common (or vulgar) fraction 25 

For a clearly indicated decimal expressed as a common (or vulgar) fraction 50 

For each numeration point placed to tbe right of the decimal point 5 

For each use of the comma whore the decimal point should be used 5 

For each use of the period where the comma should be used 5 

For each figure substituted 10 

For each figure inserted 10 

For each figure prefixed or sufilxed 10 

For each figure omitted 10 

For incorrect pointing 10 

For writing cents and mills as a decimal part of a dollar, when an amount of United States 

money is required to bo expressed in words 10 

Fundamental liules. 

Foreacli error in computation 10 

For omission of the decimal point in answer in wliich its xiso is -equired, or for expressing 

answer as a decimal when it should bo expressed as a whole number 50 

For errors in pointing off decimals: for one place 25 

for two places 30 

for three places 35 

for four places 40 

. for five places 45 

for six places 50 

For use of the comma whore the decimal point should bo used 5 

Fractions and problems. 
Above charges for fundamental rules apply also to fi-actions and problems. 

For wrong process producing incorrect result 100 

For complex statement, right result being produced ..-. 10 

For complex process or method, right result being produced 10 

If, when "work" or "operation in full" is required, tlio correct answer is given but no 

"work" is shown 75 

For fractions in answer not reduced to lowest terms, or answer in denominate numbers not 

expressed in the several denominations, beginning with the highest 20 

In denominate numbers, for errors in quantity of one denomination contained iu a unit of a 

higher denomination, according to the gravity of the error 1 to 35 

If part of work is correct and part incorrect, or if problem is incomplete, credit in propor- 
tion to correct work done. 
For omitting days of grace in problems in bank discount, or in other problems when speci- 
fied 25 

If, when "work" or "operation iu full" is required, the correct answer is given, and the pro- 
cess is clearly indicated, but not written in full 15 

If no attempt is made to answer 100 

For failure to indicate the answer in problems by the letters : Ans., or otherwise 5 

For each failure to use the sign $ or f , or any other monetary or commercial sign, or any sign 
by which the relations of quantities are expressed, when the use of such is r^oiurcd iu the 

statement or solution of a problem 5 



GENERAL REGULATIONS. 



75 



BOOK- ICE EPING AXD ACCOUNTS. 

Prom 100 
deduct — 

For omission of heading 20 

For use of wrong heading , 50 

For every misplacement of credits or debits ■ 10 

For omission of date or item 10 

For omission or misplacement of balance 20 

For failure to bring balance down, when required 10 

ELEMENTS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 



Each error in a sentence given for correction shall be valued at 
the amount that would be produced by dividing 100 by the sum 
of the errors contained in the sentence. If, in correcting a sen- 
tence, errors are made in the answer that are not in the sen- 
tence given for correction, these errors shall be added to the 
errors of the sentence to be corrected, and each error shall be 
valued at the amount resulting from a division of 100 by this 
sum. 

Any exercise in this subject (letter- writing excepted) which does 
not present a definite number of points, so that it may be 
marked under definite rules, will be marked in the discretion of 
the exaaiiners upon the following considerations : (1) Whether 
the answer covers the question; (2) whether it is accurate. 
(3) whether it is unambiguous; (4) the degree of information 
and capacity it exhibits. 

LETTER-WRITING. 

In marking the letter, form, style, and matter will each be marked 
on a scale of 100, and the sum of these marks will be divided 
by 3 

In marking the letter, the errors below mentioned shall be charged 

to form, as follows : 

From 100 
deduct — 

( Omission of date line 10 

Omission of name of place or date, in date line 5 

Omission of address 10 

Omission of name of person or place in address 5 

For each incompletely written (1) name of place in 
date line or address; (2) date or address; (3) sub- 
scription 5 

For each error in spelling 3 

For each error in the division of words 3 

For each error in syntax -. 3 

For irregular left-hand margin 3 

For repetition of address 5 

For signing name instead of examination number 5 

For each word omitted or repeated 1 

[ For each error in punctuation, and in the use of capitals. 1 

No definite directions can be given for marking the style and 

matter of the letter, and the judgment of the examiners must 

therefore determine the value of each. But it will be proper 

in determining the mark on style to consider : 

(1) The mode of expressing the thoughtor facts ; (2) rhetorical 

expression; (3) choice of words and their arrangement (not 

'^ ^ including grammatical construction). 

■ And in determining the mark on matter, it will be proper to 
consider: (1) Adherence to the subject; (2) intelligence 
and ability shown. 



if 



The sum of the error values 
credited for errors corrected 
in the answer will be the mark 
of the answer. 



In the discretion of the ex- 
aminers. 



The quotient resulting from 
a division of the sum of the 
markings on form, style, and 
matter by 3, will be the mark 
of the letter. 



The sum of the error mgrks 
shall be deducted from 100, 
and the remainder will be the 
mark on form in the mark- 
ing of the letter. 



In marking sfy^« and matter, 
the judgment of the exam- 
iners determines the mark on 
each. 



76 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

GEOGRAPHY, IIISTOUY, AND GOVERNMENT. 

In marking these subjects, eacli answer sliall be marked in the discretion of the examiners, accord 
ing to its value on a scale of 100. 

When the question requires in the answer a specified number of states, countries, persons, places, 
locations, or things, the quotient arising from the division of 100 by the number of states, countries, 
etc., required shall be the credit to be given for each state, country, etc., correctly named; if a 
greater number is given in the answer than is required, the additional number of states, countries, 
etc., shall be added to the number required by the question, and the quotient arising from the division 
of 100 by the number thus obtained shall be the credit to bo given for each state, country, etc., cor- 
rectly named. 

GENERAL PROVISIONS. 

1. Any error not covered by the foregoing rules will be marked in the discretion of the examiners. 

2. The examiners. Laving satisfactory evidence that an answer has been borrowed or otherwise 
improperly obtained, the question will be marked 0, and the examination papers, with the evidence, 
referred to the commission. 

3. The examination papers of every competitor muH be marked by the board of examiners, and 
each examiner shall initial every paper marked by him. Should a review by another examiner be 
necessary, he shall also initial every paper reviewed by him. Each examiner who marks a subject 
shall mjirk and initial with pencil or ink of different color than that of the pencil or ink used by any 
other examiner marking the same subject. 

4. All errors noted must be indicated by underlining or otherwise. The charge for each error must, 
when practicable, be noted on the margin of the sheet. 

5. In finding the average of the marks on any subject by dividing the sum of the credits by the 
number of questions, the unanswered questions must be counted in obtaining the divisor. 

RULES GOVERNING CAPITALIZATION. 

The following words should begin -with capital letters : 

1. The first word of every distinct sentence. 

2. Proper names, and titles of honor or office; as, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abra- 
ham Lincoln, General Grant, President Cleveland, Governor Marcy, Lord Tennyson, Sir Walter 
Scott, the Ohio, Fourteenth street. 

Note. — The name of any object personified may be used as a proper name, and should then begin 
with a capital letter; as, "Come, gentle Spring." 

3. Adjectives derived from proper names; as, American, European, African.^ 

4. The appellations of the Deity; as, God, the Almighty, the Supreme Being, the Most High. 

5. The first word of every line of poetry. 

C. The first word of a direct quotation, when the quotation forms a complete sentence ; as, "Christ 
says, ' My yoiie is easy.' " 

7. Every n.ame and principal word in the titles of books; as, "Pope's Essay on Man." 

8. The pronoun I and the interjection O are written in capitals. 

FoTE.— Other words of particular importance may begin with capital letters. 

SPECIAL AND SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATIONS. 

The examiners must, when rules for marking the technical, special skill, or practical test parts of 
any examination have not been prescribed, determine upon their own judgment the value of the 
answers in such parts of any examination ; but, as far as practicable, the papers of special and supple- 
mentary examinations must be marked under these rules. 

EXAMINATION IN TYrE-WUITING. 

The examination in tjpe-writing consists of four subjects, all of which are practical tests. 1. Tab- 
nlatiug— arr.iBging in tabular form certain data given in the question. 2. Transcribing rough draft. 

3. An exercise intended to tost the applicant's knowledge of the use and adjustment of the machine. 

4. A dictation, in which tiaie is an important element. 

1. Tabulatiiig Exercixc. 

In marking the tabulating exercise, errors in spelling, and the omission, substitution, and transposi- 
tion of figures, and errors in the use of words, will l)(i charscd, as nearly as may be under the rule for 
marking the copying exercise. 



GENERAL REGULATIONS. 77 

Scale: If the competitor consume only twenty miuutes in tabulating he will be creaited with 100. 
When the time consumou is more than twenty minutes, anil not more than thirty miuutes, A of 1 will 
be deducted from 100 for every minute consumed more than twenty minutes. When the time con- 
sumed is more than thirty minutes and not more than forty-five minutes, J of 1 will be deducted from 100 
for every minute consumed more than twenty miuutes. "When the time consumed is more than forty- 
flvo minutes and not more thau sixty minutes, 1 will be deducted from 100 for every minute consumed 
more than twenty minutes. When the time consumed is more than sixty minutes and not more than 
lishty minutes, U will be deducted from 100 for every minute consumed more than twenty minutes. 

The examiners will mark, in their discretion, neatness, accuracy, and completeness, in tabulatin"-. 

2. Transcribing rough draft. 

In marking the exercise in transcribing rough draft, spoiling, capitalization, and punctuation will 
be considered, and marked as nearly as may be under the rule for marking the copying exercise. 

Time consumed will be marked according to the following scale: If the competitor consume only 
fifteen minutes in transcribing rough draft, he will be credited with 100. When the time consumed is 
more than fifteen minutes, and not more than twenty-five minutes, ^ of 1 will be deducted from 100 for 
every minute consumed more than fifteen miuutes. "When the time consumed is more than twenty- 
five minutes, and not more than thii ty-five, J of 1 will be deducted from ICO for every minute consumed 
more than fifteen minutes. When the time consumed is more than thirty-five minutes, and not more 
than forty-five minutes, 1 will be deducted from 100 for every minute consumed more than fifteen 
minutes. When the time consumed is more than forty-five minutes, and not more than sixty minutes, 
2 will be deducted from 100 for every minute consumed more than fifteen minutes. 

■i. Copying and Spacing. 

In the copying and spacing exercise particular consideration will be given to the position of nil? 
LINES AND THE SPACING BETWEEN LINES, the Competitor being required to reproduce, as nearly as jios. 
sible, & facsimile of the copy. 

AccUKACY will also be considered, in marking which spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and the 
omission, addition, or substitution of a word or figure will be marked irnder the rule for marking the 
copying exercise. 

Time consumed will bo marked under the rule for marking the tabulating exercise. 

4. Dictation Exercise. 

In marking the dictation exercise accuracy and speed will be considered. 

Id marking accuracy, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and the omission, addition, or substitu- 
tion of a word or figure will be considered and marked under the rule for marking the dictation exer- 
cise. 

For a speed of 65 words per minute a credit of 100 will be given, and for every word in speed less than 
65 per minute 1 will be deducted from 100 down to and including 56 words per minute. For a speed 
of 55 words per minute a credit of 90 will be given, and for every word in speed less than 55, down to 
and including 35, a deduction of | of 1 from 100 will be made. For a speed of 34 words per minute a 
credit of 74.50 will be given, and for every word in speed less than 34 a deduction of ^ of 1 from 100 will 
be made. 

EXAMINATION IN STENOGRAPHY. 

This examination consists of two exercises in dictation, to be written by each of the competitors 
in stenographic characters, which he must then transcribe into longhand. One of the dictation exer- 
cises is a selection from a speech, and the other is a letter, the two exercises containing not less than 
300 words. The transcript will be compared with the printed text from which the dictation was given, 
and, under the rule for marking the copying exercise, charges will be made for the omission, addition, 
or substitution of words, and for errors in spelling. Under the rule for marking exercises in dictation, 
charges will be made for errors in punctuation and capitalization. 

An important element in this examination is speed in writing words in stenographic characters, 
which will be marked upon the following scale : For a speed of 150 words or more per minute, a credit 
of 100 will be given. For a speed of less than 150 and not less than 80 words, 2J will be deducted from 
100 for every 5 words less than 150, any number of words less than 5 being counted as 5. For a speed 
of less than 80 and not less than 65 words, 3^ will be deducted from 100 for every 5 words less thau 80, 
any number of words less thau 5 being counted aa 5. 

stenography and type-writing. 

A weight of 2 is given to stenography, and a weight of 1 to type-writing. The general average of 
all eligibles who stand upon the register in stenography, and also upon the register in type-writing, 
will be ascertained, and the general average of each eligible in stenography multiplied by 2, the prod- 
uct added to his general average in type-writing, and the sum divided by 3. In this manner a general 
averao-e of those who are eligible in both stenography and type-writing will be ascertained. 



78 



LAWS, RULES, AND EEGULATIONS. 



5. There shall be giveu to every subject in au examination a relative 
weight according to its importance therein, and the general average of 
each competitor shall be ascertained as follows : 

Multiply the average of the marks on each subject by the number in- 
dicating the relative weight of the subject, and divide the sum of the 
products thus obtained by the sum of the relative weights. The Quo- 
tient will be the general average, i'or example: 



COPYIST EXAMINATION. 



Subjects. 



(a) Ortliograpby 

(b) Copying 

(c) Penmanship 

((/) Arithmetic 

(e) Elements of book-kcppintr and of accounts 

(/) EleTiients of the English language 

(!7) Letter-writing 

(A) Elements of the geography, history, and government of the 

United States 



Divide the sum of the products by the sum of the relative weights 



And the general average is ascertained to be 




Products of 

multiplication 

of averages 

by relative 

weights. 



ISO 
270 
240 
475 
ir.o 
80 
240 



70 



1.705 



Eegulation VII. 

CERTIFICATIONS. 

1. Immediately after the paj)ers of an examination shall have been 
marked, the naines of the successful competitors shall be placed upon 
the registers of eligibles supplied by that examination. 

2. If, when requisition is made for certification from any register of 
eligibles of a customs district or of a postoffice, or from a depart- 
mental supplementary or special register of eligibles, there are 
thereon the names of eligibles who have claim of preference under 
section 1754 of the Revised Statutes, all of them, if they do not exceed 
three in number, shall be certified. If the requisition is for certifica- 
tion from the copyist or the clerk register, the names of all the pref- 
erence claimants who are then eligible shall be listed together in the 
order of their grades, the name of the x)reference claiming eligible who 
has the highest grade being placed at the top of the list. From this 
list the first three names shall be certified. 



GENERAL REGULATIONS. 79 

3. Any eligible who is on both a clerk (or copyist) aud a supple- 
mentary register may be certified from either, and when appointed from 
one shall be dropped from or cease to be eligible upon the other. Any 
applicant who takes the basis examination (clerk or copyist) for the 
sole p^urpose of enabling him to take a supplementary examination, and 
who expresses that purpose in his application, shall be certified from 
the supplementary register only. But an eligible who is on a supple- 
mentary register, and who declines an appointment upon certification 
from the clerk or copyist register because he desires to be appointed 
from the supplementary register only, but who did not express that 
desire in his application, shall, by such declination, forfeit his right to 
certification from the supplementary register. Any eligible who is on 
both a clerk (or copyist) and a special register may be certified from 
either, and if appointed from the clerk (or copyist) register shall re- 
main eligible on the special register; but if appointed from a special 
register shall be dropped from all other registers : Provided, That no 
person who has been appointed from any register shall be certified 
from a special register to the department or office in which he is 
serving. 

4. When an eligible is offered an appointment which he declines, 
and either by words or plain and decisive acts expresses a purpose to 
accept no place to which he may at any time be appointed, he shall 
not be again certified; but when the refusal is to accept a particular 
place vacant, and it appears that the eligible wishes to have the 
benefit of the remaining certifications which the rules allow, such 
further certification may be made. If, however, the next certification 
is to fill the identical vacancy, the eligible refusing shall not be certified 
a second time for that vacancy, but the next eligible in order shall be 
taken. The eligible so refusing must, however, be certified for the next 
vacancy, if his certification bo then in order, though it may be for the 
same place. 

5. No person having custody of or access to a register of eligibles 
shall disclose the grade of any eligible whose name is thereon without 
consent of the eligible concerned ; and no person having custody of or 



80 LAWS, RULES, AND KEGULATIONS. 

access to such register shall, without consent of the commission, dis- 
close the relative grades of eligibles whose names appear thereon. 

6. An eligible who, for any reason, has been refused certification 
when his name was in order therefor, may appeal to the commission, 
and such appeal shall be decided without delay. 

7. No request to have the name of an eligible certified out of its 
order on the register of eligibles shall be granted. 

In force March 1, 1888. 



PROMOTION REGULATIONS. 

REGULATIONS GOVERNING PROMOTIONS IN THE CLASSIFIED DE- 
FA R TMENTA L SER VICE. 

APPLIED TO THE WAR DEPARTMENT MAY 7, 1887. 
BOARDS OF PROMOTION, HOW CONSTITUTED. 

Section 1. In each department a board of promotion shall be con- 
stituted in the following manner : 

Clause 1. Upon the written request of the commission the head of 
the department shall name — 

1. Not less than six persons of a grade not below class four, whom 
he regards as the most competent of those serving under him, for places 
on the board of promotion, stating generally their qualifications ; and 
from all thus named the commission shall select three persons as the 
board of promotion of that department. 

2. In like manner, not less than two persons of a grade not below 
class four, serving in each bureau of his department, one of whom 
shall be selected as the auxiliary member of the board for that bureau. 
Each auxiliar^^ member shall act with all the authority of a member of 
the board in matters relating to promotions in the bureau for which he 
has been appointed; but at no other time shall he act as a member of 
the board. Auxiliary members may, however, by action of the board, 
be called in consultation with it upon matters relating to the general 
subject of promotions. In the event of an equal division in the board, 
when an auxiliary member is acting, the commission shall decide. 



PROMOTION REGULATIONS, 81 

Clause 2. Upou desiguation by the commissiou, oue member of each 
board shall act as chairman and another as secretarj-. 

DUTIES OF BOARDS AND OF PROMOTING OFFICERS. 

Section 2, Departmental boards of promotion shall perform the fol- 
lowing duties : 

Clause 1. Immediately after the organization of a boa.rd of promo- 
tion in any department, the head of that department shall furnish to 
the commission, upon its request, a schedule of the several classes of 
officers, clerks, and employes who have been classified in said depart- 
ment under the civil-service act of January IG, 1883 (indicating those 
excepted from examination under the civil-service rules), in each 
bureau of the department, with a list of the names of the persons in 
each of said classes. 

Clause '?. Upon receipt of the schedule of classes of any department 
the commission shall require the i^romotion board of said department 
to determine and report to it the examination necessary for promotion 
to each class above the lowest, excepting the special class hereinafter 
provided for. 

Clause 3. The lowest class from which promotions may be made by 
examination and certification, as herein provided for, is the class giving 
an annual salary of $1,000 : Provided^ That any person in a class giving 
an annual salary of $900 or less, appointed thereto upon certification 
from the clerk register, may, after probation and absolute appointment, 
compete for promotion to class one. 

Any person, appointed upon certification from the clerk register to 
a place giving an annual salary of $900 or less, may be promoted, in 
the discretion of the head of the department, during probation or after 
absolute appointment, to the $1,000 class; and any person in a class 
giving an annuaV salary of $900 or less, appointed thereto upon' certifi- 
cation from the copyist register, may, after probation and absolute ap- 
pointment, upon certification by the commission that such person has 
passed the clerk examination, bo promoted, in the discretion of the 
head of the department, to the $1,000 class; and any person in a class 
givino- an annual salary of less than $900, appointed thereto upon cer- 
19402 s G 



82 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

tification from the copyist register, may be promoted, in the discretion 
of the liead of the department, during probation or after absolute 
appointment, to the $900 class. 

Any person who, by reason of any classification, is in the classified 
departmental service, in a class below the $1,000 class, but who was 
not appointed upon examination and certification by the commission, 
shall be entitled to the same right of promotion to the $1,000 class, and 
of competition for promotion to class one, as those appointed from the 
clerk register of the commission to a class below the $1,000 class. 

Clause 4. Examinations for promotion shall be conducted under the 
direction of, and upon written questions approved by, the commission; 
and the boards of promotion shall, under the supervision of the com- 
mission, mark the examination papers of all competitors, excepting 
those of competitors of the special class hereinafter provided for. But 
it is especially provided that one of the subjects of each examination 
shall be " efScisncy," which shall be marked by the head of the bu- 
reau, as follows : 

A list of the names of the competitors in each class below the class 
to which promotions are to be made shall, after each examination, be 
furnished to the head of the bureau, who shall mark the " cflBciency " 
of each competitor on a scale of 100, and in so doing shall consider the 
attendance, application, habits, ability, and adaptability of each to the 
duties of the class in which he is serving ; and hereafter such record 
shall be kept of the habits and work of the employes in the various de- 
partments as will show their efificieucj'. 

Clause 5. Whenever the head of any department shall so request, 
the examinations for promotion in his department shall be made with- 
out regard to bureaus, and he shall mark tho efficiency of the com- 
petitors. In such examinations no auxiliary member of the board of 
promotion shall act. And whenever the head of any department shall 
so request, the examinations for promotion in any bureau thereof shall 
be made by divisions, the head of the bureau to mark the efficiency of 
the competitors, and the auxiliary member of the board of promotion 
for that board to act. 



PROMOTION EEGULATIONS. 83 

Clause 6. To every subject in an examination a relative weight, accord- 
ing to its importance in the examination, shall be given. The result of 
each examination shall be ascertained as follows : Each question will 
be marked on a scale of 100 j the average of the marks in each subject 
will be multiplied by the number indicating tbe relative weight of the 
subject, and the sum of the products will be divided by the sum of the 
relative weight ; the quotient will be the competitor's standing in the 
examination. 

All competitors who attain an average of 75 per cent, shall be eligible 
to promotion, and their names, with the average obtained by each, shall 
be entered upon a register of eligibles. 

Clause 7. Positions requiring technical, i)rofessional, or scientific 
knowledge, or knowledge of a language other than the English Ian. 
guage, or peculiar or special skill, on the part of the persons occupying 
them, for which examinations .have been or may be provided by the 
commission, shall be known, for purposes of promotion, as positions of 
the special class ; and promotions to any position in the si)ecial class 
shall be made in the following manner : 

Whenever the commission shall order an examination to be held for 
the purpose of determining the fitness of applicants in any bureau for 
promotion to any position in the special class of said bureau, the pro- 
motion board, acting with the auxiliary member for that bureau, shall 
give proper notice that all persons in said bureau wishing to compete for 
promotion may be examined, upon making written application for such 
examination, at a time and place to be named in said notice. The ques- 
tions for such examination shall be prepared by the special board of 
examiners which is charged by the commission with the duty of 
ascertaining the qualifications of applicants for admission by original 
appointment to the position in the special class for which the examina- 
tion for promotion is to be held. All such questions must be submitted 
to the commission for approval. 

The examination papers of ever^- examination for iiromotion to the 
special class shall be marked by the appropriate special board of 
examiners,- and the board, accepting the rating in efficiency, made in 



84 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

the maimer prescribed in clause 4 of this section, shall grade each ap- 
plicant as provided in clause G, and furnish to the commission a list 
of the names of all the applicants, indicating the grading of each ; and 
the uamei of all applicants graded at 75 per cent, or over shall be 
placed upon a register of eligibles. 

Clause 8, The registers of persons eligible to promotion shall be kept 
by the commission; and upon the written request of the j)romoting 
officer the commission shall certify to said oflicer a list of the names 
of all the persons eligible to i)romotion to the vacancy to be filled; and 
from among the persons whose names are thus certified the promotion 
shall be made. 

Clause 9. Persons who fail to obtain the minimum grade of eligibility 
to promotion shall be re-examined after the expiration of six months ; 
and if they then again fail to pass, may be reduced to a lower class or 
be dismissed from the service. This provision, however, shall not apply 
to persons who are examined for promotion to the special class. 

Clause 10. Each board of promotion shall meet on the first Saturday 
of July, annually, and make to the commission a report of its trausr 
actions during the preceding fiscal year and of the results of its work. 
The board shall also meet at such other times as it may determine upon. 

WHO SHALL COMPETE. 

Section 3. Promotions shall be made from the $1,000 class and from 
classes under the $1,000 class, as hereinbefore provided, to the first 
class; from the first to the second class; from the second to the third 
class ; and from the third to the fourth class. All persons in the 
class immediately below the class to which i^romotions are to be made 
must be examined for x^^romotion ; and, uj)on recommendation of the 
board of promotion, the commission may open competition to x)ersons 
in one or more of the classes immediately below the class required to 
be examined or which has been examined. Persons in the classes below 
the $1,000 class, appointed from the clerk register, upon making to 
the board of promotion written application therefor, shall be examined 
for i)romotion to class one. Upon written application for any supple- 
mentary or special examination, any person in a class not below the 



PROMOTION REGULATIONS. 85 

$1,000 class may bo examined for promotion to the special class at such 
times as the commission may direct. 

THE COMMISSION AND PROMOTION EXAMINATION. 

Section 4. All examinations for promotion shall be supervised and 
controlled by the commission. 

FOR dismissal. 

Section 5. Any member of a board of promotion who discloses, or 
any employ^ who procures or attempts to procure any of the questions 
of an examination for promotion, shall be reported by the commission 
to the head of the department for dismissal from the service. 

HOW promoted persons shall be assigned. 

Section G. All persons promoted shall be assigned to the duties of 
the grade to which they have been promoted, unless the interests of 
the service require their assignment to other duties, which fact shall be 
reported by the head of the bureau or office to the head of the de- 
partment. 



REGULATIONS GOVERNING PROMOTIONS IN THE CLASSIFIED SERVICE 
OF THE CUSTOMS DISTRICT OF NEW YORK. 

[lu force Januarj' 4, 1887.] 

In the exercise of the power vested in the President by tiie constitu- 
tion, and by virtue of section 1753 of the Revised Statutes and of the 
civil service act approved January 16, 1883, the following regulations 
governing promotions in the customs service at the city of New York 
are hereby approved and promulgated : 

Eegulation 1. The board of examiners of the New York customs 
district may at any time, with tlic approval of the civil-service com- 
mission, order an examination for promotion, and at least five days 
before the examination is to take place shall cause a notice to be posted 
conspicuously in tlie office for which such examination is to be held, 
and shall state in said notice the class or classes to test fitness for pro- 
motion to which the examination is to be held, and the time and place 



86 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS, 

of examination. Promotions shall be from class to class, and the 
examination of persons in one class shall he to test their fitness for 
promotion to the next higher class : Provided, hoicever, That if in any 
examination for promotion the competitors in the next lower class shall 
not exceed three in number, the board may, at its discretion, open the 
competition to one or more of the classes below the class in which there 
are not more than three competitors. All persons in the class immedi- 
ately below the class to which promotions are to be made, and who have 
been in said class at least six months, must bo examined for promotion. 

EEauLATiON 2. The examination must be held upon such subjects 
as in the opinion of the board of examiners, with the approval of the 
commission, the general nature of the business of the office and the 
special nature of the positions to be filled may require. In grading 
the competitors, due weight must be given to the efficiency with which 
the several competitors shall have i)erformed their duties in the office; 
but none who shall fail to attain a minimum standard of 75 per centum 
in the written examination shall be certified for promotion. 

Regulation 3. The whole list of eligibles from which the promotion 
is to be made shall be certified to the nominating officer. 

Regulation 4. Any person employed in any of the offices to which 
these regulations apply may be transferred without examination after 
service of six months consecutively since January 16, 1883, from one 
office to a class no higher in another office, upon certification by the 
board of examiners that he has passed an examination for the class in 
which he is doing duty, and with the consent of the heads of the re- 
spective offices and the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury. 

Regulation 5. The civil-service commission may at any time amend 
these regulations or substitute other regulations therefor. 

additional regulations governing promotions in the new 
york customs district. 

[Proraiilgatcd February 24, 1887; amended January 26, 1888.] 

The following examinations and promotions are included among those 
authorized b}^ the " Regulations governing promotions in the customs 
service at the city of New York," approved January 4, 1887, viz : 



PROMOTION REGULATIONS. 87 

1. Any person who lias been absolutely appointed as day inspector 
may, upon i)assiug the regular examination for promotion from class 
one to class two, clerk's grade, in the surveyor's office, be promoted to 
class two, clerk's grade, in that office; and any person who has been 
absolutely appDinted as day Inspector, or as storekeeper, may, upon 
passing the regular examination from class one to class two, clerk's 
grade, in the collector's office, be promoted to class two, clerk's grade, 
in tliat office. 

2. Any person in the office of the appraiser who has served not less 
than twelve consecutive mouths as opener-and-packcr, or as sampler, 
may, upon passing an examination prepared by the board of examiners, 
under the direction of the commission, be i^romoted to class one, 
clerk's grade, in that office ; and any person who has been absolutely 
appointed as clerk in the office of the appraiser may, upon passing an 
examination prepared by the board of examiners, under the direction 
of the commission, be promoted to the grade of examiner in that office. 

3. The examinations for promotion herein authorized shall be ordered 
as follows: When any notice is given of an examination for promotion 
from class one to class two, in the collector's or surveyor's office, under 
Promotion Regulation 1, it shall include a notice to air inspectors 
who desire to be examined for promotion to class two clerk's grade; 
and the names of the inspectors who pass the examination shall be 
placed on the list of eligibles for promotion to class two in the office 
for which the examination was held. When the appraiser shall request 
the board of examiners to hold an examination for promotion in his 
office from the grade of opeuer-and-packer and from the grade of 
sampler to class one, clerk's grade, or for promotion from the grade 
of clerk to the grade of examiner, the board shall; with the approval 
of the commission, order such examination ; and the names of the 
openers-and-packers and of the samplers who pass the examination 
shall be placed on the list to be known as the "List of openers-and- 
packers and samplers eligible for promotion to class one, clerk's grade, 
appraiser's ofi&ce;" and the names of the clerks who pass the examina- 
tion shall be placed on a list to be known as the " List of clerks eligible 



88 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

for promotioia to the grade of examiner in tbe appraiser's office." Cer- 
tification sliall be made from these lists under Promotion Eegulation 3. 
Notice of any promotion examination hereby authorized shall be 
given in the manner provided by Promotion Eegulation 1; and it is 
expressly provided that no non-competitive (or pass) examinations shall 
be held under the authority to hold promotion examinations hereby 
conferred. 



POSTAL EEGULATIONS. 

[From the Postal Laws and Hegiilations, 1887.] 

Sec, 30. Applicants for appointment as [postofiQce] inspectors will 
file their requests and recommendations with the appointment clerk of 
the Postoffice Department, who will furnish to such of them as the 
Postmaster-General shall direct, after consideration of their recom- 
mendations, a blank application of the prescribed form, and letter of 
advice containing the regulations respecting appointment. The appli- 
cant will properly fill the blank with his own hand, procure the accom- 
panying certificates to be signed by the proper persons, and return the 
same to the appointment clerk. From among the applications so exe- 
cuted and returned choice will be made, from time to time, of such 
applicants as may seem therefrom best qualified; and, according to the 
number of vacancies to be filled, a suitable number will be notified to 
appear for examination, which will be conducted by such examiners as 
the Postmaster-General may appoint therefor, or by himself. In mak- 
ing selection from those examined, discrimination will be based upon 
the qualities and attainments of the applicant, proper attention being 
given to aptitude for this particular service. Appointments will be 
made at first upon probation for a period not exceeding six months, 
and will cease without notice at the expiration of the prescribed j)eriod. 
Appointment during the pleasure of the Postmaster-General will be 
made of such probationers as shall have approved their fitness b}'^ their 
services and conduct, No inspector is appointed for, or for service in, 
any iiarticular state or locality, but will be expected to perform service 
wherever required. 



POSTAL kegulations. S9 

Sec. 4G^ The number, grades, aud compensation of clerks for post- 
offices, where allowance for clerk hire is made, are fixed by the Post- 
master-General. They are employed and are under the direct super- 
vision of the postmaster (except as provided in section four hundred 
and ninety-eight), who is held responsible for their acts. At postoffices 
embraced in the classified postal service under the civil-service act the 
appointments are made under the civil-service rules. The postmaster 
at each office of the first and second classes must annually, on or before 
the first day of January, submit to the First Assistant Postmaster-Gen- 
eral for approval the plan of the organization of his postoffice, with a 
roster or list of all clerks and other persons employed therein, stating 
the duties and compensation of each. On the examination of this ros- 
ter allowances will be made, fixing number and grade ; and the same 
must not be changed until ordered by the department. All removals 
and new employments must be reported to the First Assistant Post- 
master-General as soon as made. 

Every assistant postmaster, clerk, or employe must, before entering 
upon his duties, take the oath of office upon the form furnished by the 
department, and the postmaster must transmit the same to the First 
Assistant Postmaster-General. Written forms will not be accepted. 

Sec. 480. Executive Mansion, Washington, July 14, 188G. 

To the heads of departments in the service of the general government : 

I deem this a proper time to especially warn all subordinates in the 
several departments, and all office-holders under the general govern- 
ment, against the use of their official positions in attempts to control 
political movements in their localities. 

Office-holders are the agents of the people — not their masters. Kot 
only is their time and labor due to tlie government, but they should 
scrupulously avoid, in their political action as well as in the discharge 
of their official duty, offending, by a display of obtrusive partisanship, 
their neighbors who have relations with them as public officials. 

They should also constantly remember that their party friends from 
whom they have received preferment have not invested them with the 
power of arbitrarily managing their political affairs. They have no 



90 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

right as offioe-liolders to dictate the political action of their party asso- 
ciates, or to throttle freedom of action within party lines by methods 
and practices which pervert every useful and justifiable purpose of 
party organization. 

The influence of federal office-holders should not be felt in the 
manipulation of political primary meetings and nominating conven- 
tions. The use by these officials of their positions to compass their 
selection as delegates to i)olitical conventions is indecent and unfair ; 
and proper regard for the proprieties and requirements of official place 
will also prevent their assuming the active conduct of political cam- 
paigns. 

Individual interest and activity in political affairs are by no means 
condemned. Office-holders are neither disfranchised nor forbidden the 
exercise of political [)rivileges; but their privileges are not enlarged, 
nor is their duty to the party increased to iDcrnicious activity by office 
holding. 

A just discrimination in tliis regard between the things a citizen 
may properly do and the purpose for which a public office should not 
be used is easy in the light of a correct appreciation of the relation 
between the people and those intrusted with official place, and a con- 
sideration of the necessity under our form of government of political 
action free from ofificial coercion. 

You are requested to communicate the substance of these views to 

those for whose guidance they are intended. 

Grovee Cleveland. 

The foregoing regulation has peculiar application to postmasters, and 
its spirit should guide their conduct in all official intercourse with the 
public. They are servants of the people in that branch of governmental 
service which ministers most to their immediate personal convenience 
and interests and comes in closest contact with all. Enjoyment of its 
privileges compels persons of both sexes, of all ages, of various condi- 
tions, of different nationalities, of every opinion, to visit the postoffice 
with frequency. They transact business generally small in external 
details but of deep interest or value to them, and, in the aggregate, of 



POSTAL REGULATIONS. 91 

vast maguitude and great importance to the country. All, of every 
degree, condition, and private opinion, are entitled of right to a kindly 
service by their government, with attention, civility, and accommodat- 
ing assistance on the part of its agents, and especially without offense 
to their sensibilities^ The postmaster must therefore be patient, courte- 
ous, and helpful in transacting his business, compel his clerks to sim- 
ilar conduct or dismiss them, and so govern himself and them that every 
proper visitor may leave gratified by good treatment. Advantage of 
'the enforced opportunity should never be taken to subject visitors to 
the i^ublic office either to proselyting attempts to convert them or to 
other wounds of feeling by expressions in opposition to their opinions, 
political, religious, or otherwise. 

The regulation forbids, further, that the postmaster should install 
himself as the manipulator of the political alFairs of his own party. He 
is not thereby abridged of his privileges as a citizen, but restrained 
from encroachment on those of his fellow-citizens. Such a line of con- 
duct as is interdicted would expose him to the imputation of a conscious 
failure to earn his salary by his service, or of scheming to maintain or 
advance himself by other means than excellence in performance of 
duty; tends to excite disaffection even in his own party, and brings re- 
proach on the public service. 

Sec. 505. Postmasters will carefully observe the provisions of law 
forbidding political assessments. 

The postmaster and his employes are forbidden, under severe penal- 
ties, from soliciting or receiving, directly or indirectly, or being con- 
cerned in soliciting or receiving, any assessments, subscriptions, or con- 
tributions for political purposes from any officer, clerk, or employe in 
the service of the United States ; and it is forbidden to any person to 
solicit or receive money or other thing of value for political purposes in 
any postoffice or other room or building occupied by any officer of the 
United States for the discharge of official duties; and postmasters will 
be held responsible for its prevention. Postmasters and their assistants 
or employes are forbidden to discharge, promote, or degrade, or change 
the rank or compensation of any officer or employe, or to threaten so to 



92 LAWS, EULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

do, for giving or refusing to give any coutributiou of money or other 
valuable thing for any i)olitical purpose. It is also forbidden to any 
officer, clerk, or employe of the United States to give or hand over such 
contribution to any other officer, clerk, or jierson in the service of the 
United States. 



CLASSIFICATION. 



DEPAETMENTAL SERVICE. 

DEPARTMENT OF WAR. 

[This classification took effect November 19, 1881] 

Class A, those having an annual compensation exceeding $2,000. 
Class B, those having an annual compensation of $2,000. 
Class four, those having an annual compensation of $1800. 
Class three, those having an annual compensation of $1G00. 
Class two, those having an annual compensation of $1400. 
Class one, those having an annual comj)ensation of $1200. 
Class C, those having an annual compensation of $1000. 
Class D, those having an annual compensation of $900 and under. 
Messengers, watchmen, and laborers are excepted from this classifi- 
cation. 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. 

[This classiflcatiou took effect January 2, 1885.1 

Class four, $1800 or more, annual salary, fixed by law. 
Class three, $1600, annual salary, fixed by law. 
Class two, $1400, annual salary, fixed by law. 
Class one, $1200, annual salary, fixed by law. 
Class B, $1000, annual salary, fixed by law. 
Class A, $900, annual salary, fixed by law. 

Messengers, watchmen, and laborers are excepted from this classifi- 
cation. 

POSTOFFICE DEPARTMENT. 

[Tliis classification took effect February C, 1885.1 

Class A, those having an annual compensation exceeding $2,000. 
Class B, those having an annual compensation of $2,000 
Class four, those having an annual compensation of $1800. 
Class three, those having an annual compensation of $1600. 
Class two, those having an annual compensation of $1400. 

93 



94 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

Class one, those having an annual compensation of $1200. 
Class C, those having an annual compensation of $1,000. 
Class D, those having an annual compensation of $900. 
Class E, those having an annual compensation of $720. 
Messengers, watchmen, and laborers are excepted from this classiQ- 
cation. 

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY. 

[Tbia classification took elTcct November 22, 1881.] 

Clerks of class four, $1800 per annum. 
Clerks of class three, $1G00 per annum. 
Clerks of class two, $1400. 
Clerks of class one, $1200. 
Clerks of $1,000 per annum. 
$900 per annum coi)yists. 
$720 per annum copyists. 

Messengers, watchmen, and laborers are excepted from this classifi- 
cation. 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. 

[This classification took effect Decombor C, 1881. J 

Fourth class, all clerks receiving $1800 per annum. Subdivision A 
of fourth class, all clerks receiving $2,000 or more por annum, not 
chiefs of divisions, and not excepted from examination by the civil- 
service acts and rules. 

Third class, all clerks receiving $1000 per annum. 

Second class, all clerks receiving $1400 per annum. 

First class, all clerks receiving $1200 per annum. Subdivision A 
of the first class, all clerks receiving $1,000 per annum. Subdivision 
B of the first class, all copyists, without reference to the amount of 
salary paid to them. [At the time of this revision copyists in the De- 
partment of the Interior received either $900 or $720 per annum.] 

Class A, all employes at Washington, who are not clerks or copyists, 
receiving $1,000 per annum. 

Messengers, watchmen, and laborers are excepted from this classifi- 
cation. 



CLASSIFICATION. 95 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRLCULTURB. 

[This classification toolj offecfc Decomber 12, 1SS4.] 

Clerks of class on:^, $1200 per annum. 
Clerks of class two, $1400 per annum. 
Clerks of class three, $1000 per annum. 
Clerks of class four, $1800 per annum. 
Clerks at $1,000 per annum, each. 
Clerks at $840 iter annum, each. 
Clerks at $720 per annum, each. 
Clerk to bureau of animal industry. 
Disbursing ofi&cer. 
Assistant to disbursing officer. 
Librarian. 

Superintendent of folding-room. 
Employes in the chemical bureau. 
Employes in the laboratory. 
Employes in the botanical bureau. 
Employes in the bureau of entomology. 
Employes in the museum. 
Foreman in the grounds. 

DEPARTMENTS OP STATE AND OF JUSTICE. 

By section 1G3, Eevised Statutes, the clerks of all the executive de- 
partments, including the Department of State and the Department 
of Justice, were arranged in classes, distinguished as first, second, 
third, and fourth classes. The commission has not received notice 
that this classification has been revised by the head of either of the 
two departments named. 

UNITED STATES CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. 

[This classification took eifect March 1, 1888.] 

Class A, including all persons receiving compensation at the rate of 
less than $1,000 per annum. 

Class B, including all persons receiving compensation at the rate of 
$1000 or more, but less than $1200, per annum. 



96 LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 

Class one, iucludiug all persons receiving conipensatiou at tbe rate 
of $1200 or more, but less than $1400 per annum. 

Class two, including all persons receiving compensation at the rate 
of $1400 or more, but less than $1600 per annum. 

Class three, including all persons receiving compensation at the rate 
of $1000 or more, but less than $1800 per annum. 

Class four, including all persons receiving compensation at the rate 
of $1800 or more, but less than $2000 per annum. 

Class five, including all persons receiving compensation at the rate 
of $2000 or more per annum. 

No person who is aiipointed to an office by the President, by and with 
the advice and consent of the Senate, or by the President alone, and 
no person who is to be employed merely as a laborer or workman or as 
a watchman, shall be considered as within this classification. 



CUSTOMS SERVICE. 

[Classification applicable to every customs district in wbicli tbe uumbor of officers, clerks, and otber 
persons in tbe public service are as many as fifty. Tliis classification took etfect Marcb 26, 1883. ) 

Class A, all persons, not employed merely as laborers or workmen, 
receiving a compensation amounting to $900 or more, but less than 
$1200 per annum. 

Class one, all persons receiving a compensation amounting to $1200 
or more, but less than $1400 per annum. 

Class two, all persons receiving a compensation amounting to $1400 
or more, but less than $1600 per annum. 

Class three, all persons receiving a compensation amounting to $1600 
or more, but less than $1800 per annum. 

Class four, all persons receiving a compensation amounting to $1800 
or more, but not including any officer confirmed by the Senate. 

[This classification applies to the customs districts of the following- 
named cities: Baltimore, Md. ; Boston, Mass.; Burlington, Yt. ; Chi- 
cago, III.; Detroit, Mich.; New Orleans, La.; New York City, N. Y.; 
Philadelphia, Pa.; Port Huron, Mich.; Portland, Me.; Sau Francisco, 
Cal. 



CLASSIFICATION. 97 

POSTAL SERVICE. 

[Classification applicable to every postoffice in which the nnmbor of ofHcers, clerks, and other persons 
in the public service are as many as fifty. This clasaiflcation took efi'ect March 3, 1883.] 

Class four, $1800 aud over per anuum. 

Class tbree, $1400 and less than $1800 per anuum. 

Class two, $900 and less than $1400 per annum. 

Class one, less than $800 per annum. 

[This classification applies to the postoffices of the following-named 
cities: Albany, N.Y.; Baltimore, Md.j Boston, Mass.; Brooklyn, KY.; 
Buffalo, K. Y. ; Chicago, 111.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; Co- 
lumbus, Ohio; Denver, Colo.; Des Moines, Iowa; Detroit, Mich.; Hart- 
ford, Conn.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Jersey City, N. J.; Kansas City, Mo.; 
Los Angeles, Cal. ; Louisville, Ky. ; Milwaukee, Wis. ; Minneapolis, 
Minn.; Newark, K J. ; New Haven, Conn. ; New Orleans, La. ; New 
York City, N. Y. ; Omaha, Nebr. ; Philadelphia, Pa.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; 
Providence, R. I. ; Richmond, Ya. ; Rochester, N. Y. ; Saint Louis, Mo. ; 
Siint Paul, Minn.; San Francisco, Cal.; Syracuse, N. Y.; Toledo, Ohioj 
Troy, N. Y. ; Washington, D. C] 
19402 c s— — 7 



Q 012 1833*^ 'J* 



